Infield Fly

[IRISHMAFIA]

Y'all trying to find issue where there is none.

If you look for boogers, try that cavern just above you upper lip.

Otherwise you are only asking for trouble on the fielder.

Either way, you may end up eating it

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by Linknblue

Thanks for the quick replies. I'm with the guys who still call the infield fly rule here as long as an infielder can settle under it and catch the ball with routine effort......and I use my umpiring skills to determine if the fielders are infielders or outfielders. If I think and infielder went to the outfield to play then he's an outfielder.

I'm doing a "Tip of the Week" for our in house umpires and I want to make sure they don't take the stance that an infield fly is determined by geographics (has to be on the infield) rather than infielders fielding the ball within their territory.

Sent you a PM.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Not exactly true.

The rule requires that the ball CAN BE routinely handled by an infielder. Should that be true - and an outfielder comes in, calls him off, and flubs the catch --- it's still an infield fly.

Mike, my point was that the older rule did not require any handling, routine or otherwise, by any fielder.

Originally Posted by Andy

The ASA rule book (Rule 1) defines infielder as a fielder that defends the area of the fielder near first base, second base, third base, or shortstop. An outfielder is a fielder that plays where the left fielder, left-center fielder, right-center fielder, and right fielders normally play.

That definition leaves it to the umpire to determine who is an infielder and who is an outfielder. If you have a shortstop playing so deep that you would consider him an outfielder, than he is an outfielder for purposes of the infield fly rule.

Andy, it depends on the relative location of all the players. An infielder playing deep is still an infielder if there is another layer of defense behind him/her. I've worked the bases on some games where staying behind the infield, I could easily have a conversation with the closest outfield at a speaking voice level.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Mike, my point was that the older rule did not require any handling, routine or otherwise, by any fielder.

Does that mean the old rule only required proximity to the infield/bases?

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

Does that mean the old rule only required proximity to the infield/bases?

Rule 19 - When Batsman is out.

Sec. 8 (Infield Fly). "If, before two are out, while first and second, or first, second and third bases are occupied, he hits a fair fly ball, other than a line drive, that is handled or, in the opinion of the umpire, would have landed within or near the base lines."