This was an actual question on a site " Ask the umpire" and happened in a high school game. Ruling in NFHS is she was safe at first base. Article 4. The only part of the case that is somewhat open to debate and under the case book for NFHS rules is the one foot in the bench area . They ruling was she had to have two feet in the bench area, but the casebook does not stress this.
Dropped Third Strike Rule
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The two feet makes sense, because if you have one foot in the field in most cases, you are in the field.
Every other rule in the book dealing with boundary lines is 1 foot out. If the batter has 1 foot out of the box, they are considered out of the box. Pitcher has 1 foot out of the circle, they are considered out of the circle. Defensive player has 1 foot in dead ball territory when they make a catch, they are considered in dead ball territory, no catch. If a defensive player makes a catch in live ball territory and steps 1 foot into dead ball territory, it is a catch and carry. I have seen no rules clarifications stating the batter would have to have both feet in the dugout to be considered out.
Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
What about a base runner on 3B being hit on the foot by a fair batted ball even though most of her body is in foul territory? Still out, right?
Balls and boundary lines are different though! A ball just touching the foul line is still fair even if most of it is in foul territory. A pitched ball off the plate technically is a strike if just a part of passes over the plate.
I will answer the hijack question....
Where was the ball when it hit the runner? If over fair territory, runner is out. If over foul territory, foul ball. This presumes that the ball has not passed an infielder or has passed an infielder and another fielder still has a play on the ball and the baserunner is not in contact with a base.
Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
What about a base runner on 3B being hit on the foot by a fair batted ball even though most of her body is in foul territory?
Let me try again.....
Is the runner in contact with third base when hit by the ball?
Where is the nearest fielder?
Has the ball passed an infielder other than the pitcher?
If the runner was not in contact with a base, did the ball hit her before passing first or third base?
And maybe the most important question: when the ball hit the runner, was the ball over fair territory or foul territory?
Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
LOL, it was a rhetorical question to begin with, but, hypothetically speaking, No. Behind the runner. No. Yes. And, as described and highlighted previously, it was a FAIR batted ball that hit the runner's foot over FAIR territory.
Throw me out if you have to, but please don't tell my wife if you do.
My point is that the status of the ball is established based on it's position at the time it hits the runner.
In other words, the ball is fair because it hit the runner over fair territory. It cannot be a fair batted ball that hits a runner based on your description. Up until the time it hits the runner, the ball has no fair or foul status.
In other words, the ball is fair because it hit the runner over fair territory. It cannot be a fair batted ball that hits a runner based on your description. Up until the time it hits the runner, the ball has no fair or foul status.
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