How do you rule the "yellow" on top of the fence?

[Tyennie]

Had this come up a couple of times lately. You all are familiar with the yellow "cap" on top of the outfield fence. so my question has two scenarios (1) long fly ball hits the yellow and rebounds into the field or (2) Long fly ball hits yellow and goes over. How do you rule, give OBR reference if available. After a few responses I will let you know what I did.

[Jimurray]

Absent some screwy MLB park type ground rules:

(1) Play the live ball

(2) 4 base award - it passed out of the playing field in flight.

[johnnyg08]

Live ball and homerun. Not tough. In the future, bring it up at the plate meeting

[umpcoachfather]

whats the distance to the fence from home and what specifically is stated about this in ground rules?

[Tyennie]

Distance to fence in left center approx. 345, I will leave ground rule discussion/plate meeting topics for a later post, after a few more have had the opportunity to voice their opinions. ;)

[JaxRolo]

I agree. I don't even see some screwy local rule not allowing this.

[OHUMP]

Agree all around live ball and Home Run.

[Rich Ives]

It's in writing in the MLBUM - Item 31 in the current printing.

Comes back - in play

Goes over - home run

[noumpere]

Its just part of the fence so rule it the same as you would of ruled it if the cap wasnt there and the ball hit near the top of the fence.

[Tyennie]

cool beans. that is exactly what i told the mgrs at the plate meeting of game 1 of a dbl header. And then in game two, for some reason the mgrs of both sides had to leave for some other appt. (WTH?) and left their coaches to do the honors. Yup about the 6th inning a kid takes one to left center and it comes off the yellow back into the field. Of course the OC wants the homer, the ensuing discussion was along the lines of:

Me: coach we had this discussion prior to game 1, it is a live ball play, no home run. Which of course got the loud-mouthed dad in the stands going. Oh baby baby!

and for some reason the LM dad, seems to think the MLB guys will signal a HR if the ball hits the yellow and comes back into play.

[OHUMP]

There are some mlb parks I believe that if it hits above the yellow line it is a HR but on it play all day.

[Jimurray]

There are some mlb parks I believe that if it hits above the yellow line it is a HR but on it play all day.

I thought there were some screwy MLB park ground rules but they are no more (if they ever were).

From MLB.com universal ground rules:

All yellow lines are in play.

Example from Houston's ground rules:

• Batted ball in flight strikes yellow line on fence or top of railing in left center field and bounds into stands: Home Run.
  
• Batted ball in flight strikes yellow line on fence or top of railing in left center field and rebounds onto the playing field: In Play.
  

[AZump78]

The definition of a "home run" should suffice for this ruling.

[Rich Ives]

The definition of a "home run" should suffice for this ruling.

When the ball hits the fence it is no longer in flight and a HR has to leave the field in flight. Thus the interp.

[AZump78]

I will give you that, but be careful about saying a home run HAS to leave the field in flight, as that is not totally true (see the second half of 7.05a)

[Rich Ives]

I will give you that, but be careful about saying a home run HAS to leave the field in flight, as that is not totally true (see the second half of 7.05a)

That's an award for an illegal act. But it assumes it would have gone out in flight if not deflected - otherwise it's three bases. . Probably scored a HR.

[Jimurray]

The definition of a "home run" should suffice for this ruling.

When the ball hits the fence it is no longer in flight and a HR has to leave the field in flight. Thus the interp.

They do not define playing field but they do define one of the borders of fair territory as the perpendicular extension of the bottom of the playing field fence. So you could infer that a ball that hit the top of the fence and went out did pass out of the perpendicular extension of the bottom of the fence in flight. No, never mind, let's use the interp.

[TNCoach]

I recall Chipper Jones hitting one several years back that hit the yellow line and it was declared a homerun though it didn't even go over. (I believe it was Chipper, but it may have been another Brave) I remember this because I was younger and we played wiffle ball around the house, using my house as the fence. A ball hit the top of my front porch railing and bounced back and we had an argument as to whether or not that was the yellow line as had just been used in MLB game. Not sure if they made the right call, but I distinctly remember it hit the front corner of the yellow and came back on the field.

[TNCoach]

I was playing Senior League baseball when I was younger. We played on a field that was 285 to left, 300 to center, 300 to right field and about 8 foot tall (same field that a local high school player hit a home run on that hit his windshield - which made Yahoo news). Anyhow, kid hits one to left center. He goes into his trot immediately. Ball hits top railing of fence and comes back on the field. Ball is quickly returned to 2B and the tag is placed on the runner. Home run was never signaled, but they got together and discussed it and called it a ground rule double. Made no sense to me as a 15 year old... Makes no sense to me now.

[Rich Ives]

I recall Chipper Jones hitting one several years back that hit the yellow line and it was declared a homerun though it didn't even go over. (I believe it was Chipper, but it may have been another Brave) I remember this because I was younger and we played wiffle ball around the house, using my house as the fence. A ball hit the top of my front porch railing and bounced back and we had an argument as to whether or not that was the yellow line as had just been used in MLB game. Not sure if they made the right call, but I distinctly remember it hit the front corner of the yellow and came back on the field.

MLB issued a universal ruling that hitting the yellow line was in play because different field had different ground rules. In some parks hitting the line was in play and at others it weas a HR. So it might well have been correct at the time. It no longer is.

[Davea]

How would you rule if ball hits yellow at top of fence, bounces in air and is caught by outfielder?

 

[Rich Ives]

1 hour ago, Davea said:

How would you rule if ball hits yellow at top of fence, bounces in air and is caught by outfielder?

 

NOT a catch because it is no longer in flight. Ball is live and in play.

[Mister B]

On 6/17/2012 at 7:20 PM, Rich Ives said:

 

 

MLB issued a universal ruling that hitting the yellow line was in play because different field had different ground rules. In some parks hitting the line was in play and at others it weas a HR. So it might well have been correct at the time. It no longer is.

IIRC, every field had a different ground rule, so MLB made it universal to make it easier. Plus there are places where the yellow line is painted on the wall. Above the top of the yellow line, HR, below the top of the yellow line, play on. Similar rules as the foul poles. 

[The Man in Blue]

On 6/19/2019 at 10:13 PM, Davea said:

How would you rule if ball hits yellow at top of fence, bounces in air and is caught by outfielder?

 

The same way I would rule if a ball hit off the top of the backstop, popped up, and the catcher caught it.  Well, maybe not exactly the same since that would be a foul ball; but neither is a catch.  

[Lou B]

3 hours ago, Mister B said:

IIRC, every field had a different ground rule, so MLB made it universal to make it easier. Plus there are places where the yellow line is painted on the wall. Above the top of the yellow line, HR, below the top of the yellow line, play on. Similar rules as the foul poles. 

Not similar to foul poles!  If it hits the foul (fair) pole it's a home run even if it bounces back onto the field of play.