Infield fly rule?!?!

[bmakj]

If your base coaches are only watching the ball and the defense, I would suggest getting better base coaches.

It's not that difficult for a base coach to glance at the PU in this situation and see that he/she is making the Infield Fly call. Not really different than glancing at the umpire when he/she judges fair/foul down the line. A good base coach keeps his/her head on a swivel to capture all elements of the game, not just one or two of them.

and they should be making certain right girls is at plate, and on deck, and that someone in warming up new pitcher coming in next inning, and figuring out where next game is, monitoring parents in stands,

I guess I just feel that it is really not that big a deal for an umpire to be clear in making a call, why are umpires so against this? maybe the coach is concentrating on telling his player to get back when they ran when they shouldn't have, etc.

Umpires CALL (this includes verbally) the game, coaches COACH their players (calling out IFR, batter is out is not coaching).

 

[Indiana Gators South]

This topic sparked my intrest. In our last tournament for the summer season this topic arose. We had one out girl on first and one of my girls hit a pop up to the infield the defender let the ball hit the ground in front of her doubled us up game over. As you can imagine I was not very happy about the call went to the home plate umpire fo ask why infield fly wasnt called his words ball wasnt high enough to call infield fly game over. Now I am not expert on rules but I know them enough that it should have been called as a infield fly. Am I correct in thinking it should have been called. Usssa officials were pretty terrible with calls they made this summer season where we play in Indiana hopefully this fall session they are better

 

[The Man In Blue]

This topic sparked my intrest. In our last tournament for the summer season this topic arose. We had one out girl on first and one of my girls hit a pop up to the infield the defender let the ball hit the ground in front of her doubled us up game over. As you can imagine I was not very happy about the call went to the home plate umpire fo ask why infield fly wasnt called his words ball wasnt high enough to call infield fly game over. Now I am not expert on rules but I know them enough that it should have been called as a infield fly. Am I correct in thinking it should have been called. Usssa officials were pretty terrible with calls they made this summer season where we play in Indiana hopefully this fall session they are better

Unless I am misreading that or you didn’t include all the details, a runner on 1B only is not an Infield Fly situation.

That said, there still is a rule against intentionally dropping the ball that could have applied if the fielder had a glove on it and dropped it. If she let it hit the ground untouched, that is legal. (USSSA 8-17c).

 

[heman1202]

This topic sparked my intrest. In our last tournament for the summer season this topic arose. We had one out girl on first and one of my girls hit a pop up to the infield the defender let the ball hit the ground in front of her doubled us up game over. As you can imagine I was not very happy about the call went to the home plate umpire fo ask why infield fly wasnt called his words ball wasnt high enough to call infield fly game over. Now I am not expert on rules but I know them enough that it should have been called as a infield fly. Am I correct in thinking it should have been called. Usssa officials were pretty terrible with calls they made this summer season where we play in Indiana hopefully this fall session they are better

Yup, infield fly is in effect with runners on first AND second with less than two out and the ball could be caught with reasonable effort.

Based on your information, it sounds like it was a pretty heads up play by the fielder to end the game.

 

[Tex]

Infield fly rule is, when declared by the umpire, a fair fly (not including a line drive or an attempted bunt) that can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort when runners are on first and second or all three bases are occupied and before there are two outs in the inning. Any defensive player positioned in the infield at the time of the pitch shall be considered an infielder for the purposes of this rule. The rule does not preclude outfielders from being permitted to make the catch. The ball is live, the batter is out, which removes the force, but runners may advance at their own risk. The runners may tag up and advance as soon as the batted ball is touched by a fielder. If a declared infield fly becomes foul, it is treated as a foul ball, not an infield fly.

 

[CHSUmp97]

and they should be making certain right girls is at plate, and on deck, and that someone in warming up new pitcher coming in next inning, and figuring out where next game is, monitoring parents in stands,

True. But I doubt they're doing all that on a batted ball in the air near the infield when the infield fly situation is on. If they are, you DEFINITELY need new coaches!

I guess I just feel that it is really not that big a deal for an umpire to be clear in making a call, why are umpires so against this? maybe the coach is concentrating on telling his player to get back when they ran when they shouldn't have, etc.

Umpires CALL (this includes verbally) the game, coaches COACH their players (calling out IFR, batter is out is not coaching).

I don't know where you got the idea from me (or anyone else) that I am against calling the Infield Fly. I never said anything of the sort. Yes, the PU (and only the PU in softball) must make that call loud and clear. Not all umpires have a loud voice like me so that the outfielders also hear the call, which is why I suggest that the base coaches should also glance at the PU to see the hand in the air, just in case they couldn't hear the verbal call.

 

[The Man In Blue]

I guess I just feel that it is really not that big a deal for an umpire to be clear in making a call, why are umpires so against this? maybe the coach is concentrating on telling his player to get back when they ran when they shouldn't have, etc.

Umpires CALL (this includes verbally) the game, coaches COACH their players (calling out IFR, batter is out is not coaching).

I’m not sure where you get that either. The call should be made.

What I am against it when coaches try to shift blame for their own failure ... remember the magic word that you don’t use with umpires ... “You should have called that so that I ...”

No, no coach ... By rule umpire’s failure to call it is not anything. It does not negate the play. The play is still the play and the participants should know the situation.

 

[A's dad]

Even at the 10u level we have covered when infield fly rule is in effect. During situational defense with live runners on we hit a few accidental popups to make the point again. Probably most importantly as a base coach we remind our runners when the situation arises that IF is in effect. If your base coaches are having to make sure the right batter is up, making sure the pitcher is warming up, etc then it would probably be best to get another coach in the dugout.

 

[bmakj]

The call should be made.
.
.
.

“You should have called that so that I ...”

I am confused.

I am not saying any results should be overturned, but I think there is merit in a coach (respectfully of course) indicating to a PU that a verbal call should have been made. It really should be part of the rules/mechanics whatever you like to call it. not having it in their is just a CYA thing for when it is not verbalized.

and having volume enough to reach OF has nothing to do with base coaches, they are not responsible for OF, they are responsible for coaching the offense.

 

[bmakj]

Even at the 10u level we have covered when infield fly rule is in effect. During situational defense with live runners on we hit a few accidental popups to make the point again. Probably most importantly as a base coach we remind our runners when the situation arises that IF is in effect. If your base coaches are having to make sure the right batter is up, making sure the pitcher is warming up, etc then it would probably be best to get another coach in the dugout.

If you can get 10u baserunners to understand, recognize situation, and look to HPU for signal, and recognize this, then that coaching staff is probably the best I have ever seen, or the girls are the future US Olympic team. recognizing it in practice, when it is being coached, is a long way from recognizing it in game situation.