We are in the field. Player hits a line drive down 3rd base line but in foul territory. Our 3rd baseman lunges and stabs at it mid-air but only knocks the ball down. Only her glove and elbow were in foul territory, the rest of her body in fair. The ump (a very good ump, who umps college games) calls foul ball, to which I agreed. The other team's coach argues that she touched the ball while she was in fair territory therefore it is fair. I thought it should be a foul ball and not just because it benefited our team. What is it fair or foul?
Foul ball or not?
- Thread starter BuckeyeBW
- Start date
Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch
Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.
- Jun 12, 2015
- 3,848
- 83
My thinking is that it was foul. If a catcher goes after a foul pop up, and it pops out of her glove on the catch, that doesn't make it fair. I'm not sure why that would be different if the 3B makes an unsuccessful play in foul territory. But it doesn't sound like the coach was arguing the rule, but rather whether the ball was in fair or foul territory when 3B touched it. For that I guess you'd have to be there or have video to know.
Sorry, I don't have a video. In your scenario of the catcher pop-up, the catcher would be in foul territory too. Technically the 3rd basemen's glove was in foul territory when they touched it, their coach was arguing that her body, most of it, was in fair territory when she touched it. The other team's coach was in the first base dugout during the play and couldn't have really have known if the ball was in foul territory or not. He argued that it was because the player was in fair territory and touched the ball. rdbass I am in agreement with you and that was my thinking at the time. My thoughts were is it any difference if the ball is on the ground or in the air? foul ball when touched in foul territory is foul.
- Jun 22, 2008
- 3,438
- 48
The ONLY "technical" thing to be considered is the location of the ball at the time the fielder made contact. Forget the body, feet, etc. none are relevant.
Yup, that is what I was thinking.
- Jun 12, 2015
- 3,848
- 83
True, but if the catcher tried to catch the foul pop up with one foot in fair territory and dropped it it's still just a foul ball. So I wouldn't think that would make any difference. Sounds like that's true from the other responses.
Tell the other coach it's softball, not football. 
Similar threads
