INT and IFF in one play

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by jmkupka

Steve, I've always heard it's never too late to declare the IFF, but never heard how (to declare the delayed IFF).

Say we both miss the fact that it's in effect, the batter pops up, ordinary catch is dropped, and (a) multiple outs are made because runners didn't run, or (b) no outs are made due to runners off on the pitch.

In (a) when OC complains about the no-IFF call, do we protect the runners back to 1st & 2nd and call batter out?

In (b) when DC complains about the no-IFF call, do we send the runners back to 1st & 2nd and call batter out?

This assumes that we agree that IFF should have been called, we just missed it.

In both A and B, you're better off if YOU decide you made a mistake and fix it rather than wait for coach to complain and then fix it.

That said, in A, you would put the runners back on 1st and 2nd and rule the batter out.
In B, you would not send the runners back - they were allowed to run at their own risk, did so, and were safe. You would rule the batter out. However - if the runners were off on the pitch, why were they? It seems possible if not probable that this was not an IFF after all - if they were both running, one might presume the reason they were running was that it was not obviously easily catchable. It seems odd to me that both runners would break and advance (and not frantically return) during a fly ball that is later ruled to be easily catchable.

Keep in mind that IFF is not designed to give the defense an easy out, it's designed to prevent the defense from getting an unearned double play - protecting the OFFENSE.