Weird play - curious about rule

[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."