Softball Trivia

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Manny A

Just out of curiosity, when and why did 8-2-I change its wording? I have a PDF version of the 2008 rule book, and here's how 8-2-I was written back then:

"[Batter-runner is out] When an infield fly is declared. If the fair batted ball hits the batter-runner before reaching first base, the ball is dead and the infield fly is invoked."

The latest version of the rule runs both sentences together so that it reads,

"When an infield fly is declared and the fair batted ball hits the batter-runner before reaching first base."

Why the change? Heck, you could almost read it as saying that the ball HAS to hit the batter-runner to invoke the IFR!

I see no quantitative difference between the first and the second, so I'm not seeing the issue. The latter is clearer, at least, and covers exactly the situation it's supposed to cover.

Regarding your last sentence, that's true. the ball HAS to hit the batter runner to invoke THIS rule. Luckily for all of us, there are many other parts to this rule to describe the other ways IFR might come into play.