Ball rolls into DBT between the foul lines

[MPLSMatt]

I go this from someone I work with and wondering what you guys think. Obviously, should have been covered n pre-game, so we can save those comments but just wondering how you'd handle it. My gut is that this should be a ground rule double.

FED Rules

"Here's a question that came up in the 13U game I just finished. The field we were on drops off down a hill past left field. A ball was hit to the gap and landed in the outfield before it rolled down the hill. This was an area that would be dangerous for a player to run down and so I considered it out of play. I called dead ball and allowed the batter to finish coming home (he was halfway from third already).

The pitcher astutely complained that it should be a ground-rule double. I wasn't sure and I had mistakenly not reviewed that ground rule before the game. I decided in the spur of the moment that it was a home run and explained it to the managers by stating that a ball that goes out of play between the foul lines is a home run.

Later, however, I remembered that a home run is a fair ball that leaves the field of play IN FLIGHT. So who was right? I suspect the pitcher was..."

[johnnyg08]

on some fields you could have a ball go through a fence. "In flight" is the key there.

tough call. good thing is they're 13 and life goes on.

keep it in mind for your plate meeting next time.

[bam]

Plate conference. Home manager explains local ground rules. Boom. Done.

[BigSimonia]

Fair bounding ball enters dead ball territory = double

[Richvee]

Ground rules HAVE to be gone over in the plate conference. I work on a few fields that drop off in the outfield. Some aren't that deep, and the ground rules are usually something like, Ball clears the hill on a fly, HR, ball rolls down the hill, ground rule double. On the fields where the hill is very far out...maybe 450-500 feet, we usually play that any ball that rolls down the hill- batter gets the base he's advancing to, plus one. Again, local ground rules and it's imperative they're covered at the pregame.

[umpcoachfather]

OBR states the ball must travel at least 250 feet for it to be a home run, not sure if their is a FED rule that is similar.

[BT_Blue]

We have a h's field here that is placed below street level. There is a hill that goes around 3/4 of the outfield that goes up to the fence that leads to street level. Its a pain in the but to deal with but the ground rules treat the hill ss if it is a fence. Now that being said... had a play this year which we did not cover at the plate meeting.

Deep fly ball to right-center (which is where the hill pretty much ends). F9 goes back and may or may not have made the catch at the base of the incline. Thankfully I happened to be in A so I was able to go out and see his position clearly. (He cuaght it just before the ground rises)