Infield Fly

[NTexBlue]

ASA Co-ed Rec league. Visitors at bat, trailing 15 - 0, top of 4th.

R1 on 2nd, R2 on 1st, 1 out. I'm PU. Batter hits a little looper in the air (maybe 15 in the air, but carried to the edge of the grass) towards F6, R1 breaks for 3rd, I call Infield Fly, Batter out. F6 lets the ball drop, R1 stops 2/3 way to 3rd, and retreats to 2nd base, where he is tagged and called out by my partner.

OC is upset, "You called Infield Fly when the ball hit the ground, he should get to go back to 2nd base!" I explained that on Infield Fly the runners may advance at their own risk, and the runner was tagged out. "Yeah, but the ball hit the ground!" Well, coach, you're right, but the runner was tagged out.

Ball Game! After I left the park, they went and moaned to the UIC at the field. I'm confident we got the call right. I feel the coaches should have been aware of the situation and coached the runner properly. What say you guys?

[Manny A]

Hmmm, I'm not so sure I would've called an IFF on a "little looper". Sounds like you had something closer to a line drive than a fly ball, especially if your call of IFF happened as the ball hit the ground.

You also said F6 let the ball drop. What did he/she actually do? If he/she gloved the ball and then let it drop, I would have been more inclined to rule it an intentionally dropped ball, kill play, call the batter out, and put the runners back on their time-of-pitch bases.

But if you really judged that the batted ball warranted an IFF call, then you are correct. The batter would be out, and the runner would be out on the tag. The runner is not protected in any way. He should know he is under no obligation to advance should the ball not be caught, since the force is removed when the IFF call is made.