Ball hits a tree

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Dakota

We have a number of high schools who use city park fields. While I can't think of one that does have an obstruction, I wouldn't think such a thing would be unheard of at all. Not all states can afford to spend $60 million on high school sports stadiums with built-in cracks!

I get that all games are not played on expensive parks. But I honestly cannot even imagine a field where there were trees overhanging fair ground in the INFIELD. No level of ball could really be played on that field. Tee-ball I suppose. It doesn't take $60M to cut down a tree.

[Andy]

I work a HS tournament every year at small town school that uses both of their practice fields to play tournament games on.

On one of the fields there is a large tree outside the fence on the first base side where the tree branches overhang the field in foul territory starting just past first base and going back along the fence for twenty feet or so. No part of the tree overhangs fair ball ground.

Our ground rule is that if the ball touches the tree, it becomes a foul ball and dead.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Andy

I work a HS tournament every year at small town school that uses both of their practice fields to play tournament games on.

On one of the fields there is a large tree outside the fence on the first base side where the tree branches overhang the field in foul territory starting just past first base and going back along the fence for twenty feet or so. No part of the tree overhangs fair ball ground.

Our ground rule is that if the ball touches the tree, it becomes a foul ball and dead.

I play on one with a tree maybe 10 feet shy of the home run fence, planted inches from the Dead Ball fence on the first base side. Limbs overhang about a third of foul ground. Our ground rule matches yours.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

I get that all games are not played on expensive parks. But I honestly cannot even imagine a field where there were trees overhanging fair ground in the INFIELD. No level of ball could really be played on that field. Tee-ball I suppose. It doesn't take $60M to cut down a tree.

Agree. A tree that close to the players is just downright dangerous, not only from batted balls that ricochet off of it, but also falling branches, potential lightning strikes, etc. Assuming a normal-sized field with adequate foul-territory spacing, you're talking about a huge tree if it has branches that overhang that far! I personally wouldn't call a game on that field because it's essentially unplayable.

At the very least, someone should cut back those branches.