Bunt Question

[DB1]

Batter pivots to bunt, fouls the ball directly to the catchers chest protector, hits catchers arm, bounces up and catcher catches the ball. Catcher never moved from her squat position. Is the batter out or is it treated like a swinging foul tip that the catcher catches?

In our situation, the umpire called the batter out and his explanation was that the ball didn't go directly into her glove and she had to make a play to catch it. Sounded funny to me, but didn't really know what the right call was.

 

[sluggers]

The umpire was correct. A foul tip has to go directly to the hand or glove of the catcher. If it went directly to the chest protector, it was a foul ball.

In fact, the NCAA rule book has an advisory ruling:

A.R. 11.6 A ball travels directly from the bat, in a straight line, to the glove or
bare hand and is deflected straight up into the air. RULING: If the catcher then
legally catches the ball, it is a foul tip. If it is not caught by the catcher or the
initial rebound is off a body part other than the catcher’s glove or bare hand, it is
a foul ball, not a foul tip.​

It is a rule I've never reviewed. Thanks!

 

[BretMan]

Here is the key to making the right call:

1) Did the ball come off the bat sharply and directly, in a straight line?

2) Did the ball come of the bat NOT sharply and directly, but with a perceptible arcing path?

Answer that and then you can get a correct ruling. The ruling is different depending on which path the batted ball took from the bat before touching the catcher.

 

[DB1]

The ball went directly to the chest protector. She barely got a piece of it and barely changed directory. Definitely a straight line and direct to her chest protector.

Thanks!

 

[BretMan]

In that case, then this should have been a foul ball.

Once a batted ball goes "straight line/sharply and directly" to any part of the catcher's body or equipment, without first having touched the catcher's hands or mitt, it is immediately a dead ball and a foul ball.

Batted balls that go "straight line/sharply and directly" off the bat to the catcher can become one of two things- either a foul tip (which is treated exactly the same as a swing and a miss, or a strike) or a foul ball. Such a batted ball can NEVER be caught in the manner of a fly ball for an out.

On the other hand, if the ball comes off the bat with "perceptible arc", then it can NEVER be a foul tip. A batted ball with an arcing path is treated exactly the same as any other batted fly ball anywhere else on the field. Such a batted ball may be caught for an out...just like any other fly ball.

 

[obbay]

ball travels directly from the bat, in a straight line, to the glove or
bare hand and is deflected straight up into the air

it was not

If it is not caught by the catcher or the
initial rebound is off a body part other than the catcher’s glove or bare hand, it is
a foul ball, not a foul tip.

it was

what Bret says makes sense