Weird play - curious about rule

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by SWFLguy

Never heard of that. What is the rationale for not having it?

The reason the rule exists is to prevent the defense from intentionally not catching the pop up and turning an easy double play...

At low-level 10U, or younger, there is not a chance the defense could decide not to catch the ball and then turn a double play... in fact, coaching them to fail to catch it on purpose is more likely to result in ZERO outs instead of 1 (or 2). So no need for the IFF at that level.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

The reason the rule exists is to prevent the defense from intentionally not catching the pop up and turning an easy double play...

At low-level 10U, or younger, there is not a chance the defense could decide not to catch the ball and then turn a double play... in fact, coaching them to fail to catch it on purpose is more likely to result in ZERO outs instead of 1 (or 2). So no need for the IFF at that level.

Sure there is a need. The play in the OP is proof of that.

[MD Longhorn]

That doesn't make a lot of sense, to be honest. If they don't use the IFF, and everyone knows they don't use it, the runner staying on 3rd base after the ball wasn't caught is simply a dumb move on her part. She should run. If she had run (and again, going off the assumption that the level of play is such that IFF is not necessary ... again, low level 10U or any level 8U), then it would not be likely this low level defense could throw her out at home and still have time to throw out any other runner.

it was her staying on 3rd that made this DP possible ... just as if she'd stayed on third base on a ground ball to the third baseman.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

That doesn't make a lot of sense, to be honest. If they don't use the IFF, and everyone knows they don't use it, the runner staying on 3rd base after the ball wasn't caught is simply a dumb move on her part. She should run. If she had run (and again, going off the assumption that the level of play is such that IFF is not necessary ... again, low level 10U or any level 8U), then it would not be likely this low level defense could throw her out at home and still have time to throw out any other runner.

it was her staying on 3rd that made this DP possible ... just as if she'd stayed on third base on a ground ball to the third baseman.

Sure it does -- what if the ball is dropped at a point where the runner is between the fielder and third base?

The IFF rule makes sense at every level of the game. What's considered routine may change due to the range of the fielders, but what BENEFIT results here from not having one?

Just another case of mommies and daddies screwing with well-established rules cause they "know better."

[Dakota]

I think it's been a long time since some of you have worked a low level 10U game... At that level, you need the IFF rule not to protect the offense, but so that some how, some way, you get an out!

[Tru_in_Blu]

At 10U games, how many batters can actually hit a ball high enough to even qualify as an IF?

A lot of outs are made by base running gafs, strike out, and ground balls to F1.