The "dropped third rule" is part of the "control of ball" rules. Control of the ball is a big deal in softball/baseball.
Force outs, tag outs, and fly outs are outs *only* when the ball is "in possession" of a fielder. Runners are only out for "running out of basepath" if a fielder has control of the ball. A foul ball never creates an out until a fielder controls it. (A batter can foul off a hundred balls without an out being called.)
Teams can only call time-out when a fielder has control of the ball.
So, the dropped third is consistent with the rest of the rules.
Force outs, tag outs, and fly outs are outs *only* when the ball is "in possession" of a fielder. Runners are only out for "running out of basepath" if a fielder has control of the ball. A foul ball never creates an out until a fielder controls it. (A batter can foul off a hundred balls without an out being called.)
Teams can only call time-out when a fielder has control of the ball.
So, the dropped third is consistent with the rest of the rules.
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