Umps...teach me about foul tips caught by the catcher

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May 29, 2015
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Like I said, I'm not sure what exactly that means and have never really experienced it but had 2 scenarios happen in back to back weekends.


I am not picking on you BR, but how this is is still an unknown quantity in the game is something that is completely baffling to me. It is not a rare occurrence in the game. My guess is that when an actual foul tip happens, the viewers/fans rarely catch the event. When a more obvious one happens that they notice . . . who let the dogs out?

Anyway, the ball is live means the ball is live and in play. There is not "TIME!" or a stoppage. That means runners can advance or be put out.
 
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May 29, 2015
4,060
113
As an Ump I'm pretty sure you never say "foul tip" you can make a signal with your had that the ball was tipped in case the catcher drops it in which case it becomes a foul ball, but you don't want to ring the "foul" ball bell.

Well, good enough. No, "foul tip" should never be a verbal call. It isn't to prevent an erroneous foul call, but you are correct that we don't want to signal it too quickly in case the catcher does drop it.

The "signal" is holding the left hand flat in front of the chest (palm down) and brushing the right hand over the top into an extended arm motion.
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Oct 13, 2017
111
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I am not picking on you BR, but how this is is still an unknown quantity in the game is something that is completely baffling to me. It is not a rare occurrence in the game. My guess is that when an actual foul tip happens, the viewers/fans rarely catch the event. When a more obvious one happens that they notice . . . who let the dogs out?

Anyway, the ball is live means the ball is live and in play. There is not "TIME!" or a stoppage. That means runners can advance or be put out.

I’m with you. Happens all the time. We should know this.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Jun 22, 2008
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Comp, I was enjoying some popcorn as the "answers" were coming out of the crevices of interesting places. You jumped in too quickly! ?

For that bolded part above . . . this incorporates some baseball into the conversation, but I think it is important as the average fan attempts to transfer rules back and forth . . . KNOW YOUR CODE. Not all codes require the ball to go to the hand or mitt. Some codes allow the ball to go sharply and directly to the catcher (e.g., hits off their chest protector) and still be caught. (No, I don't agree with those codes in practice, but they exist.)

Glove/hand: USA Softball, USSSA Softball, NCAA Softball, NFHS Softball, NFHS Baseball

Catcher: OBR (Major League Baseball), NCAA Baseball
Why would I give a crap what baseball says on a softball forum with a question about softball?
 
May 29, 2015
4,060
113
Why would I give a crap what baseball says on a softball forum with a question about softball?

Because Stanley Steel Cup is watching MLB, then coming to the park yelling at us for not ringing up the batter his daughter “just struck out”. Patty Gasso will never look at her now.

When Coach Carl the Clueless comes out with the same thing, it helps to know why somebody thinks that. I have never had an issue explaining to someone that their belief is from a different ruleset and they would be right under those rules.

Well, almost never. I did have the baseball coach yell at me that we were using MLB rules, not OBR. :rolleyes: (“Official Baseball Rules” is MLB’s rulebook.)
 
Jun 22, 2008
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Well even MLB doesn't know what's going on because their rulebook says catcher but under glossary of rules it says hand or glove.
 

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