Still Lost on the infield fly rule

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May 29, 2015
3,731
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I laughed at the cartoon and the video!

But I am still stupefied by the interpretations here, despite it being explained repeatedly by multiple veteran umpires.

I think the problem is that we are talking about two different points in the process. I am saying the potential for an infield fly rule application exists under those circumstances. Several of you have mentioned watching the umpires for our pre-pitch signal, so that indicates you understand what I am saying.

You are trying to take us to the point of the call, which is NOT what I am talking about. Yes, the "normal effort" is a judgment call -- sometimes made correctly and sometimes made incorrectly. That does not change the situation when "the infield fly is on", which is what I described in detail. Nothing an umpire does changes the fact that you have 0 or 1 out with runners on first and second base. That's it ... that is all you need to recognize. Just like an umpire. Now you know the infield fly rule could possibly be invoked. Teach your runners what to do or what not to do. There are a very limited number of outcomes, it shouldn't be hard to teach them.

If the umpire kicks the call -- actually, let me go one better: WHEN the umpire kicks the call (because it will happen) you can deal with that part then. That does not change anything I said. The potential for an infield fly rule application is still a very defined situation.
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
My dd played softball for 15 years. I saw maybe 3 blown IFF rules. All of them were by an ump who forgot the game
Situation. 2 outs or only 1 runner on base.
Seems to me this rule creates a lot of confusion and anger by parents for the rarity of mistakes.
 
Aug 30, 2020
1
1
Umpire must signal infield fly rule. Definition is if a player can make catch with reasonable effort. If ball is dropped batter is still out and runners can advance at their own risk of being put out. No retouch required if ball hits ground.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
*Perhaps because it is not always applied,
nor applied the same, makes it confusing.

Remember
Every pitch comming across the plate is a judgement call.
This infield fly topic is just as 50/50 !

*Play the ball until the umpire figures out what they are doing!!!!*
 
Last edited:

CoachMikeD

Teach First, Win Later!
Dec 29, 2018
15
3
Conover NC
Umpiring is not an easy job for sure. But I see a few flaws here. I was always told that the umpire needed to at least hold his arm out in signaling the INFLy. But with that being said, his comment about coaches and players recognizing it would make sense if it was a easy pop-up to an infielder IN THE INFIELD. If the ball landed in the outfield, it is not an obvious or automatic call. Maybe he could not make up his mind whether to call it or not. And no, runner on 1st did not need to tag up (retouch.)
 
Aug 1, 2019
195
43
South Carolina
Wow...... The bolded completely a judgement call. And there are adults that expect a kid in 12u to be able to make a snap judgement on something as ambiguous as whether or not a player can catch something with "normal effort"? This has got to be a joke right? We're wanting kids to make judgements that line up with adults? Someone tell me I'm awake because I have to be dreaming that an adult expects a kid to make a judgement call that perfectly lines up with adults every time. Heck you can't even get kids and adults to line up on where to eat lunch, now we're expecting them to line up with adults on judging another player's normal effort?

Two words: Base Coaches.

That’s why teams are allowed to have base coaches on the field. They should be adults (and almost always are), and they should be instructing their runners what to do.

When a base coach believes the umpires are going to make an IFF call, they’d better be yelling to their runners, “STAY ON YOUR BASE!” And should the ball drop, they should still be yelling that unless they feel their runners can safely advance.

Now, that does put the burden on the coaches to judge that the pop fly will result in an IFF call. Is that fair to them? Well, maybe not, but in those rule sets that say the IFF call can be enforced retroactively, the rulesmakers put that responsibility square on the runners AND coaches shoulders. If you don’t like that, lobby to get the rule changed.


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Jun 22, 2008
3,731
113
Umpire must signal infield fly rule. Definition is if a player can make catch with reasonable effort. If ball is dropped batter is still out and runners can advance at their own risk of being put out. No retouch required if ball hits ground.
Have you bothered to read the answers on this by actual umpires?

No, it does not have to be signaled or called immediately. It can be enforced after the fact and before another pitch if the umpire missed it.

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Jun 11, 2013
2,619
113
To the umpires on this list. We understand it can be missed and applied later but do you call it when you umpire a game?
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,731
113
Yes I call it. Have I ever missed an infield fly situation? Yes, fortunately the ball wasn't hit so nothing came of it. Umpire's are human, we lose track of outs, count, where runners are at etc from time to time.

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Aug 1, 2019
195
43
South Carolina
To the umpires on this list. We understand it can be missed and applied later but do you call it when you umpire a game?

Of course we call it when the conditions are met. Why wouldn’t we? I don’t know of a single colleague who would admit to knowingly fail to make the signal and call just in spite.

But just like a coach who forgets the number of outs and sends his/her runner on a fly ball with one out, or forgets to inform the umpire of a substitution, or forgets that a foul tip is a live ball and sends a runner who stole third back to second while the ball is already in the circle, umpires have brain cramps. We’re human; it happens. Fortunately, the rules allow us to fix that.


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