Slowpitch Catch & Carry
 

ISF Rules

Been racking my brain about this for a couple weeks now. At a recent tourney, Batter pops up to the edge of foul territory. F7 catches the foul fly and his momentum carries him into deadball territory. I call batter out on the catch, runners advance one base (8.7.i).

Captain of batting team insisted that as the field carried the ball into dead territory, it should be batter returns to the plate with one extra strike.

Fast forward to yesterday, at my club training I was chatting with a fellow umpire who had a similar situation--this time the ball was simply caught on the fly in deadball territory. This colleague insisted the call is a strike.

I have been back and forth throught the ruleset and cannot find any rule or evidence to support either my colleague's or the captain's ascertations. To me, if a ball is caught anywhere before it hits the ground, it's an out--doesn't matter if it's caught in fair, foul, dead or Yukon territory (8.2.b).

In 8.7.i, there is no exception for a ball that is first caught and then carried out to become a strike rather than an out.

Can anyone confirm or please correct me if I'm wrong?

Dont have access to ISF rules, but in any other rule set you cannot catch a ball while the player is physically in dead ball territory for an out.

You are correct on the catch and carry; catch happened in live ball territory, so an out, and runners advance one base when carried into dead ball territory.

As to the second, try the definition of a catch; has to happen on the field of play (live ball territory).

"Physically in dead ball territory" means at least one foot (or other body part) on the ground in dead ball territory. You know that; just being fastidious. ;)

I don't know the ISF rules, but under any other code I am aware of, the first situation is a legal catch with an unintentional carry out. Out stands, base runners are awarded 1 base. In the section situation, since the catch occurred in DB territory, it is simple a foul ball, with a strike called on the batter. This could result in an out if the rules allow for a foul ball with 2 strikes to be an out, but it would not be an out on the catch itself.

Captain is an idiot.

This colleague is correct (assuming there are less than 2 strikes already). It's just a foul ball.

I have been back and forth throught the ruleset and cannot find any rule or evidence to support either my colleague's or the captain's ascertations. To me, if a ball is caught anywhere before it hits the ground, it's an out--doesn't matter if it's caught in fair, foul, dead or Yukon territory (8.2.b).

In 8.7.i, there is no exception for a ball that is first caught and then carried out to become a strike rather than an out.

Can anyone confirm or please correct me if I'm wrong?[/QUOTE]

Thanks for all your responses!