Delayed infield fly rule call

[CloudofDust]

Our team is in the field, bases loaded with no outs. Batter hits a high fly ball, just behind the SS. Neither the field umpire nor the plate umpire say a word. SS misjudges the ball and runners all advance one base while the ball hits the ground. Play stops and defensive head coach calls time to ask plate umpire why the IF fly rule wasn't called. Plate umpire says it's the field umpire's call (not true), so coach goes to talk to the field umpire. Coach asks field umpire, "How was that NOT an infield fly rule?" Umpire responds, "It was." Coach says, "Oh, ok, did you call it? I didn't hear you call anything." Umpire responds, "I'm calling it now!"

LOL....uh, that's not how the infield fly rule is supposed to work.

 

[SoftballDadnWV]

And what did he do when he called it after the fact? Call batter/runner out? What about the baserunners?

Was SS under the ball and misjudged it or was she no where near the ball?

 

[Strike2]

Infield fly rule protects the offense from an intentional drop/double play. It's not intended to give an automatic out to the defense or prevent runners from advancing. That said, at least in USSSA, the infield fly can be called after the play (batter-runner out), but any other runner advance would stand.

 

[CloudofDust]

And what did he do when he called it after the fact? Call batter/runner out? What about the baserunners?

Was SS under the ball and misjudged it or was she no where near the ball?

Batter was called out and base runners were allowed to stay on the base to which they had advanced. SS was about 5 feet from where the ball landed.

 

[The Man In Blue]

That’s exactly how the infield fly rule works. That’s not the ideal way of umpiring it, though .

I know we’ve said it often: Infield fly rule is dictated by the circumstance, not an umpire’s declaration. It isn’t ideal for us not to call it, but that does not “override” the rule. The defense (and the offense!) are expected to know the rule and game situation.

I don’t know if we’ve ever parsed this out though. What happens when an umpire does not call it?

1) Defense catches the ball, no adverse effect. With or without the call, there is no good reason for runners to be moving.

2.) Defense drops the ball, offense is exposed to a potential double play. In this case, a correction by the umpires can probably fix this. The batter is out, you put runners from any forced outs called back.

But what do you do with any non-forced runners who advance? One could say they advance at their own peril, so let that legal advancement stand. One could also argue you disadvantaged the defense as they may have played on the lead runner instead of the double play.

I’m inclined to let any legally advanced runners advance and replace the outs I may have caused. I’m curious to hear the debate on this ...

 

[SoftballDadnWV]

I would hope the offensive coach then went out and had a discussion with the umpires. If the SS was not comfortably under the ball, I am not sure I would have called it...but it is a split second decision on the umpires part and easy to get wrong, or right.

 

[SoulFY]

That’s exactly how the infield fly rule works. That’s not the ideal way of umpiring it, though .

I know we’ve said it often: Infield fly rule is dictated by the circumstance, not an umpire’s declaration. It isn’t ideal for us not to call it, but that does not “override” the rule. The defense (and the offense!) are expected to know the rule and game situation.

I don’t know if we’ve ever parsed this out though. What happens when an umpire does not call it?

1) Defense catches the ball, no adverse effect. With or without the call, there is no good reason for runners to be moving.

2.) Defense drops the ball, offense is exposed to a potential double play. In this case, a correction by the umpires can probably fix this. The batter is out, you put runners from any forced outs called back.

But what do you do with any non-forced runners who advance? One could say they advance at their own peril, so let that legal advancement stand. One could also argue you disadvantaged the defense as they may have played on the lead runner instead of the double play.

I’m inclined to let any legally advanced runners advance and replace the outs I may have caused. I’m curious to hear the debate on this ...

You just do the best you can with fixing the situation. Get the outs that make sense and are fair. Place runners where they would have gotten or keep them at the base at the time of the pitch if they get thrown out

 

[Northball]

You just do the best you can with fixing the situation. Get the outs that make sense and are fair. Place runners where they would have gotten or keep them at the base at the time of the pitch if they get thrown out

It's a mess and one group or the other will be ticked off whatever is done to try to fix it. I'm no umpire, but I believe one would have to stick by the rule as much as possible rather than try to discern what is most fair. If runners advanced in the chaos, you can't put them back. If runners are thrown out, they are out.
Part of it is knowing the rule whether it is verbalized during the play or not.
Again, an embarrassing mess when it happens.

 

[radness]

Catch The Ball

 

[radness]