Bunted ball contacts foot

[newsoftballdad]

Ok umpires, help a newbie rec umpire out.

I was working a travel scrimmage in our town last night, 12U, no idea whose rule set they use. It is usually a combo of USSSA and a local league rule set.

RH batter bunts and ball drops in front of home plate fair, batter's first step out of box contacts ball, other foot still in box. I call dead ball batter out, all runners return to last occupied base.

Correct? Coach of that team didn't think so!

 

[CHSUmp97]

Ok umpires, help a newbie rec umpire out.

I was working a travel scrimmage in our town last night, 12U, no idea whose rule set they use. It is usually a combo of USSSA and a local league rule set.

RH batter bunts and ball drops in front of home plate fair, batter's first step out of box contacts ball, other foot still in box. I call dead ball batter out, all runners return to last occupied base.

Correct? Coach of that team didn't think so!

You were correct. This is a case where a batter-runner contacted a batted ball that was in fair territory. It doesn’t matter that she still had a foot in the batter’s box. The box has no bearing on the play when a BR contacts her batted ball. All you must determine in this case is if the ball was in fair territory when she makes contact with it.

Where the box does come into play is when the batted ball contacts the batter after she hits it. If she’s still in the box, then it’s a foul ball.

So remember the difference:
- Ball contacts batter = foul if she’s in the box, regardless if the ball was fair when it contacted her
- BR contacts ball = out if the ball was fair


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[corlay]

So remember the difference:
- Ball contacts batter = foul if she’s in the box, regardless if the ball was fair when it contacted her
- BR contacts ball = out if the ball was fair

What if the batter is moving, still in the box, and makes contact with the ball? ie a slap hitter fouling one into her body?

I think the ball needs to make contact with the ground, before BR makes contact, for the BR to be out, no?

 

[newsoftballdad]

You were correct. This is a case where a batter-runner contacted a batted ball that was in fair territory. It doesn’t matter that she still had a foot in the batter’s box. The box has no bearing on the play when a BR contacts her batted ball. All you must determine in this case is if the ball was in fair territory when she makes contact with it.

Where the box does come into play is when the batted ball contacts the batter after she hits it. If she’s still in the box, then it’s a foul ball.

So remember the difference:
- Ball contacts batter = foul if she’s in the box, regardless if the ball was fair when it contacted her
- BR contacts ball = out if the ball was fair


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Thanks!

 

[inumpire]

What if the batter is moving, still in the box, and makes contact with the ball? ie a slap hitter fouling one into her body?

I think the ball needs to make contact with the ground, before BR makes contact, for the BR to be out, no?

In your play she would not be out, no different than is the ball hits the batters foot.

 

[newsoftballdad]

So another question: Is the one foot out of the box carry through all rule sets? I thought so.

"It doesn’t matter that she still had a foot in the batter’s box. The box has no bearing on the play when a BR contacts her batted ball."

 

[corlay]

In your play she would not be out, no different than is the ball hits the batters foot.

correct.

But again my question (in another way): in what scenario would the batter be out, by making contact with the ball while still in the box, if the ball hadn't made contact with the ground first?

 

[WVSteven]

It's the location of the ball. What if she pops it up down the first base line, is running to first and the ball, in fair territory before contacting the ground, hits the batter-runner and then hits the ground? She's out. If the batter-runner contacts the batted ball over fair territory she is out. The ground has nothing to do with it unless it's a foul ball.

The offensive team shall not interfere with a fair batted ball or a foul fly ball. (NFHS 7-4 article 12)

 

[CHSUmp97]

correct.

But again my question (in another way): in what scenario would the batter be out, by making contact with the ball while still in the box, if the ball hadn't made contact with the ground first?

She bunts the ball slightly in the air in front of her, and as she takes off, she runs into the ball as it comes down. If she runs into it while the ball is in fair territory, where her feet are in relation to the box is irrelevant.


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[corlay]

She bunts the ball slightly in the air in front of her, and as she takes off, she runs into the ball as it comes down. If she runs into it while the ball is in fair territory, where her feet are in relation to the box is irrelevant.

So, the umpire must apply judgement here?

If it's a slap hitter, already moving forward in the box (but still in the box), fouled ball is in fair territory:
a) if she fouls (direct) the ball and makes contact, before ball contacts the ground she is not out?
b) if she fouls (pop) the ball and makes contact, before ball contacts the ground she is out?

the judgement of whether the foul was direct or pop is at the umpire's discretion?