Infield Fly Rule...

[Bullaholic]

It's baseball season---Let's see how many interpretations we can get for the infield fly rule from MLB to Little League. After, that, anybody want to take on the California Rule? I've looked at these for years and have a little bit of a handle on the California Rule, but get tired head on the infield fly.

[88bobcats]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
It's baseball season---Let's see how many interpretations we can get for the infield fly rule from MLB to Little League. After, that, anybody want to take on the California Rule? I've looked at these for years and have a little bit of a handle on the California Rule, but get tired head on the infield fly.


Isn't that a violation of Rule #1?

:devil:

[Bullaholic]

Well, at least BaseballUmp is viewing this thread---maybe he will want to wade thru this thing again.

[BaseballUmp]

Runners on atleast 1st and 2nd base (possibly bases loaded) with less than two outs. any fly ball able to be caught by an infielder without too much difficulty within a reasonable distance from the infield in fair play is an infield fly...to me

[Bullaholic]

Originally posted by BaseballUmp
Runners on atleast 1st and 2nd base (possibly bases loaded) with less than two outs. any fly ball able to be caught by an infielder without too much difficulty within a reasonable distance from the infield in fair play is an infield fly...to me

O.k.--so the batter can't advance, but otherwise it's a live ball?

[waterboy]

:wave: Infield fly rule is there only because of the potential of the fielder dropping the ball intentionally in order to make a double play.

[Bullaholic]

Originally posted by waterboy
:wave: .....aaahh, just in the nick of time!:D

LOL, waterboy----surely to goodness nobody can politicize the infield fly rule? :D

[BaseballUmp]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
O.k.--so the batter can't advance, but otherwise it's a live ball?

The batter who put the ball in play is immediately called out.

[waterboy]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
LOL, waterboy----surely to goodness nobody can politicize the infield fly rule? :D
Dang it! Somehow it jumped to the wrong thread! You caught me.......:doh: :D

[coach]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
O.k.--so the batter can't advance, but otherwise it's a live ball?

yea the runners can advance if they want

[Emerson1]

Always thought how this rule is implemented was dumb.

Make it so the runners on base are automatically safe under the circumstances that the infield fly rule go into affect, unless they choose to advance. If the fielder drops the ball on accident then they can either try to make a play at first or they are screwed.

baseball is stupid

[BaseballUmp]

Although it does happen where if it is close to a foul ball or if the ball hits fair and is called infield fly then the ball is first touched in foul territory, then it results in a foul ball

[Bullaholic]

What happens if the batter bunts the ball a little high and it lands in the infield?

[BaseballUmp]

Usually its the umpires discretion but it would have to be atleast about 20-30 feet high for me to call it. Usually short little bloop pop up bunts arent high enough and ill just let play resume as normal

[Emerson1]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
What happens if the batter bunts the ball a little high and it lands in the infield?
It would have to go far enough that a fielder was able to play it easily

[Bullaholic]

What happens if the ball is flyed just barely out of the infield and a running fielder calls it, the ball hits his glove and falls out of his glove in the infield?

[BaseballUmp]

yea if the infielder can get to the ball with little ease I would most likely call it no matter if he catches it or not the batters gonna be out

[BaseballUmp]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
It's baseball season---Let's see how many interpretations we can get for the infield fly rule from MLB to Little League. After, that, anybody want to take on the California Rule? I've looked at these for years and have a little bit of a handle on the California Rule, but get tired head on the infield fly.
btw, whats the California rule?

[3afan]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
What happens if the batter bunts the ball a little high and it lands in the infield?

BY RULE a bunt can never be a infield fly

[Bullaholic]

Originally posted by BaseballUmp
btw, whats the California rule?

A lady asked me about that at a little league game the other night and i just shook my head. I did a little reasearch and the only thing I could find out about it was using this rule to put base runners on 1st and 2nd very late in a game when the other team is way ahead? That just didn't make any sense, so maybe there is no such rule.

[BaseballUmp]

lol thats what run rules and wider strike zones are for :D

[zebrablue2]

Originally posted by 3afan
BY RULE a bunt can never be a infield fly


that is correct!!

[clhsdad]

If you are talking about the California tie breaker rule that happens when the two teams end regulation play tied. The last batted out is put on second base and play begins. This is to try to break the tie quickly.

[Astrosdawg07]

Originally posted by coach
yea the runners can advance if they want

However; it is no longer a force and the runners must be tagged out.

[skins4life]

Originally posted by BaseballUmp
The batter who put the ball in play is immediately called out.

And the runners can advance if the ball is dropped. Especially if the fielder's not paying attention. Kinda like tagging on a foul ball caught in the outfield.

[NastySlot]

Originally posted by clhsdad
If you are talking about the California tie breaker rule that happens when the two teams end regulation play tied. The last batted out is put on second base and play begins. This is to try to break the tie quickly.



this call the international tie breaker (itb) in softball....they also have progressive itb's...adding runners to other bases

[DaHop72]

Originally posted by skins4life
And the runners can advance if the ball is dropped. Especially if the fielder's not paying attention. Kinda like tagging on a foul ball caught in the outfield. Or tag and advance if it is caught like any other fly ball.

[CenTexSports]

Infield fly:

Runners on consecutive bases ( 1 & 2 or 1, 2, &3) with less than two outs. Any fly ball that is easily (sometimes interpreted as normally) caught by an infield player in fair territory, the batter is declared out and the runners may advance at their own risk.

[Yoe_09]

Any decent popup in the infield area has normally been called from games ive seen. Some of the select games with some pretty horrible umpires havent made the call but usually it is made by the decent ones. If it is a bunt then usually there is no infield fly rule called.

[BwdLion_80]

Originally posted by BaseballUmp
Usually its the umpires discretion but it would have to be atleast about 20-30 feet high for me to call it. Usually short little bloop pop up bunts arent high enough and ill just let play resume as normal

According to NFHS rules, an attempted bunt cannot be called an "infield fly"!

Sorry, I didn't read all the way through before I posted.

[Buckeye1980]

I yse to umpire and never thought about this until reading this thread. If the infield is playing the shift and the SS or 2b is playing shallow LF or RF , does that extend the range of the infield fly rule? :thinking:

[BaseballUmp]

To me if that player was in there normal position could they easily make the play? If not then no call...but then again if the kids are playing a shift then they are probably pretty decent to know where to be per batter therefore i would think that the player would make that catch anyway and not need an infield fly call

[CenTexSports]

I used to call a lot of ASA softball and I attended a meeting with the head of the ASA umpires. Two things I remember are:

1) The purpose of an umpire is to get 21 outs per team and go home.

2) If an infielder is standing under a ball waiting to catch it, he did not care if they were standing in front of the 280' sign; it was to be called an infield fly and the batter was out.

[CenTexSports]

I wil get a definitive answer next spring. My son has decided to quit his job and go to an umpirng class in Florida with the intention of woking into the major leagues. I sure this will be covered.

[ronwx5x]

I thought the infield extended from home plate to the end of the non-grassy area behind the bases. If the ball is past the back of the non-grassy area it is not an infield fly, regardless of who catches it or drops it. Am I incorrect?

[GATAPride77]

I thought the infield extended from home plate to the end of the non-grassy area behind the bases. If the ball is past the back of the non-grassy area it is not an infield fly, regardless of who catches it or drops it. Am I incorrect?

No not correct, Infielder can catch IF on outfield grass or outfielder can catch IF on infield dirt.

[ronwx5x]

Originally posted by GATAPride77
No not correct, Infielder can catch IF on outfield grass or outfielder can catch IF on infield dirt.

That's why I said that the "who" does not matter, just the "where". If the ball goes past the non-grassey area behind the bases while still in the air, it is not an infield fly.

[Bullaholic]

In Little League I think our catchers are having the hardest time reacting quickly to the live ball on a passed ball on the 3rd strike. Many runners have made it to first before being tagged or thrown out.

[sahen]

Originally posted by ronwx5x
That's why I said that the "who" does not matter, just the "where". If the ball goes past the non-grassey area behind the bases while still in the air, it is not an infield fly.

in the majors if the ball can be caught by an infielder fielding their normal position then it is an infield fly....therefore if the ball is beyond the infield dirt yet shallow enough that normally an infielder would catch it and not the outfielder then it is considered an infield fly...

[sahen]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
In Little League I think our catchers are having the hardest time reacting quickly to the live ball on a passed ball on the 3rd strike. Many runners have made it to first before being tagged or thrown out.

i was a catcher and this was hard to get used to once you got old enough for the rule to go into effect...eventually it will click and it wont be a problem...

[CenTexSports]

The grass/dirt area has nothing to do with an infield fly rule being called. On this rule I would bet any amount you wish on my knowledge.

I don't know much, but I do know this.

[BaseballUmp]

It just has to do with the ease of the fielder to make the play

[GATAPride77]

If the ball goes past the non-grassey area behind the bases while still in the air, it is not an infield fly.

I'll try again, you are wrong. A declared IF can be caught on the outfield grass. It just has to be a fair ball. Does not matter who or where, definition of IF does not break it down as to a specific area.

[Bullaholic]

After everyone's input, I am of the opinion that the IF Rule can potentially cause more problems than it corrects for both players and umps. To me, a player fielding an IF, dropping it on purpose in order to make a possible double play, is not different from a DB in football knocking down a long 4th down pass in the endzone instead of making an INT and getting the ball on his own 20 and getting it at the spot.

[sahen]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
After everyone's input, I am of the opinion that the IF Rule can potentially cause more problems than it corrects for both players and umps. To me, a player fielding an IF, dropping it on purpose in order to make a possible double play, is not different from a DB in football knocking down a long 4th down pass in the endzone instead of making an INT and getting the ball on his own 20 and getting it at the spot.

you must not be much of a baseball fan...and it isnt just the double play they are avoiding but also hte triple play...if there is a pop up and men on 1st and 2nd (or you can add one on 3rd) then the runners have to stay on their base because if they run off they will be doubled off if the guy catches it and they didnt tag up...if they stay at their base and just for example the ball is close to 2nd the fielder could "drop" the ball, tag the runner on 2nd for 1 out, step on 2nd to force out the runner that was on 1st for the 2nd out, and then throw it to 1st base to force out the original batter for the 3rd out...its a rule that keeps the fielding team from getting out of a jam in a cheap way...

[Bullaholic]

Originally posted by sahen
you must not be much of a baseball fan...and it isnt just the double play they are avoiding but also hte triple play...if there is a pop up and men on 1st and 2nd (or you can add one on 3rd) then the runners have to stay on their base because if they run off they will be doubled off if the guy catches it and they didnt tag up...if they stay at their base and just for example the ball is close to 2nd the fielder could "drop" the ball, tag the runner on 2nd for 1 out, step on 2nd to force out the runner that was on 1st for the 2nd out, and then throw it to 1st base to force out the original batter for the 3rd out...its a rule that keeps the fielding team from getting out of a jam in a cheap way...

You are correct, sahen, I am more of a football fan, and I do now more understand the purpose of the rule, and as I stated, I still don't like it. If the real baseball fans say it makes the game better, then I'll agree with that.