Fly Rule for a Dummy

[BigSkyHi]

The umpire is your 1st clue:

The umpire is required to yell "Infield fly, if fair" and will typically raise one arm straight up to signal to everyone that the rule is in effect. If the umpire believes the catch is a sure thing, he can call the play as an infield fly and declare the batter out, even if the ball was not caught.

 

[sluggers]

No. If an infield fly is called, the batter is automatically out, regardless of whether the infielder catches or drops the ball.

....

@Top_Notch's answer is right.

But, you need to have a practical example to apply all of this knowledge.

THE PROBLEM: Most parents and some umpires don't understand the rule. Parents will scream at the kids, making the kids behave erratically.

The usual chaotic situation: Betty at bat, Suzy at 1st, Cathy at 2nd. Popup, and the IFR is called. Then, SS drops the ball.

Betty starts spring to 1B. The parents of the team batting starts screaming for Suzy to run. Suzy turns around with the deer in the headlights look and runs off to 2B.

Cathy, who spends most of her time picking daisies in the OF, has miraculously done exactly the right thing....nothing. She stays put at 2B. Cathy and Suzy are staring at each other while both stand on 2B.

Embarrassed about the whole dropped ball thing, the SS picks up the ball like she has never seen one before. The parents start screaming at SS to tag 3B...which she obediently does.

The umpire does nothing....making the SS even more confused. Finally, SS decides to do everything the parents have told her to do. She steps on 2B. She tags Suzy and Cathy, and then hurls the ball to 1B.

Of course, 1B has long since stopped paying attention, so the ball sails into RF ...at which time Cathy, Suzy and Betty start running, and all tag home.

(NOTE: I think the two girls standing on 2B staring at each other is a universal right of passage for softball coaches.)

 

[tamss13]

It’s easier to understand once you grasp the rules intention - which is to prevent a fielder from dropping the fly ball on purpose to force the runner to advance and execute the possible double play. The infield fly rule prevents the intentional drop double play.

ok that helps

so in theory.....a pop fly happens in the infield say between 3rd and 2nd. the ss drops the ball on purpose now the ss can throw the ball to 2nd and relay to 1st....therefor an easy double play......that makes sense...

So for the infield fly rule....the batter is out.....that means the runners must stay on base which reduces the chances of a double play.....ok if that is correct.....I get it now.....man I was completely lost....

of course the runners can always attempt to take a base after a clear tagup....put that is the runner chancing it..... I think I got it

 

[Towny9]

To add to that and a little bit of coaching strategy if you ever do drop it (like say on a line drive and not an infield fly ) you always want to get the force out at first because that runner got the better break out of the box and then get the lead runner in the rundown for the second out of the double play.

 

[Hawk_]

ok that helps

so in theory.....a pop fly happens in the infield say between 3rd and 2nd. the ss drops the ball on purpose now the ss can throw the ball to 2nd and relay to 1st....therefor an easy double play......that makes sense...

So for the infield fly rule....the batter is out.....that means the runners must stay on base which reduces the chances of a double play.....ok if that is correct.....I get it now.....man I was completely lost....

of course the runners can always attempt to take a base after a clear tagup....put that is the runner chancing it..... I think I got it

If the fielder doesn't catch the ball, the runners don't have to tag.

 

[Cornbread]

As a coach, I always yell “infield fly, stay on the base” when the infield fly is in effect.

 

[chinamigarden]

To add to that and a little bit of coaching strategy if you ever do drop it (like say on a line drive and not an infield fly ) you always want to get the force out at first because that runner got the better break out of the box and then get the lead runner in the rundown for the second out of the double play.

I always said get the lead runner for sure. Why give them a runner in scoring position? Take the easy out.

 

[Towny9]

Let’s say soft line drive to the pitcher or one of the middle infielders. They drop it, intentionally or not. The lead runner had to freeze or probably went back to first on the line drive so pick it up throw it to first to get the batter out and then execute a throw and tag or a rundown on the lead runner. I coach aggressiveness all the time and always look for outs in the field. If you can get a few extra outs in the field it’s less your pitcher has to get - you are going to come out on top most of the time

 

[sluggers]

So for the infield fly rule....the batter is out.....that means the runners must stay on base which reduces the chances of a double play.....ok if that is correct.....I get it now.....man I was completely lost....

of course the runners can always attempt to take a base after a clear tagup....put that is the runner chancing it..... I think I got it

No, not quite. The IFR only says that the batter is out. Beyond that, the normal rules apply.

So, the runner has to tag up before she advances *only* if the fielder catches the ball. If the fielder drops the ball, the runner does not have to tag up.

With a modest lead off, runners can easily advance on a dropped popup in softball if the IFR is called, especially if the infielder is on the grass.

 

[jackfrost]

This...

If the SS is deep for instance and you have bases loaded with less than two out, having the runner on 3rd tag and go can sometimes catch people off guard cause it's not expected.

Yes, Last year I had a girl tag from 3rd on a ball caught behind 1B by F4. She was running away from the infield to catch it and after she caught she was behind a tall F3. By the time she got clear, made a weak throw to F2, runner scored. Coach could not believe she could possibly tag up from 3rd successfully on a ball so near the infield. But I watched the girl tag and it was a legit advance to home. I denied the appeal that the runner left early. heads up play by the runner.