ASA - Infield Fly Rule

[rwest]

Originally Posted by Chess Ref

ASA 14U. R1 on 2b, R2 on 1B. I'm PU. Batter hits this little strange bloop over the Pitcher's head. Pitcher made no effort, ball lands about 4 feet in front of 2B. All runners advance one base. No one said anything. BU calls "Time".
Comes jogging over to me and tells me he had called "IFF". Nobody,including myself heard him-so I guess that part is irrelevant-but when he told me he called it, I replied "Thats not your call-it's my call". I got the I've been doing baseball for a gazillion years spiel and either of us can make the call.
Since nobody heard him, there really was nothing to "fix", so after a discussion he went back to his position and away we went.

My question I have is IF someone had heard him, am I obligated to accept his calling of the IFF, or could I have overruled him and placed the runners where I believed they would have ended up?

First of all you can't overrule any umpire on judgement calls. If this had been a misinterpretation of the rule you could have gotten together and fixed it but you can't overrule another umpire on judgement calls.

Second, if he had said it loud enough to be heard, I would enforce the IFF. I don't have my books handy, but I don't believe the book says that only the PU can make this call. It can be called by any umpire on the field. However, most officials believe this should be called by the PU and I agree. It looks better coming from the PU. I as the BU will hold my hand up in the air pointing at the ball to indicate to the PU that we have a possible IFF. I then let him/her make the call. Yes, I know this is not a by the book mechanic, but it's what I do.

I had a similar situation this weekend during a college showcase. I am the PU. My partner is a quality umpire and part of my ASA association. We've been calling together for several years. Runners at 1st and 2nd (maybe bases loaded). Pop up on the infield over F6's head. My partner signals with his hand in the air as I would have done. I start to call it but then realize it is not a IFF because F6 had to keep going back for the ball. The ball kept sailing on her. It was not ordinary effort in my opinion and she did not catch the ball. Nobody heard me start to say Infield Fly, Batters Out. I never completed the sentence and put my hand down, as did my partner.

I should say, that if they heard me or saw me with my hand up then they never mentioned it when I didn't make the call.