A Couple of Test Questions

[TNCoach]

I am an assistant high school coach, but I am going to be umpiring summer ball.  Going for Fed to OBR will take getting used to, but I don't think it will be too bad.  Anyways, I have gotten word of some of the questions and answers.  The league makes up their own questions, so you know how that goes.  They could be right, wrong, or not give you enough info so that the question really isn't a good question. 

 

I think (thought) I knew the answers, but hearing what the answers are has me doubting myself.

 

Sit. 1)  2 Out, R3.  H hits grounder.  Ball is thrown offline and F3 fields and tags Batter-runner.  R3 touches home before the tag is made.  Does the run count since it wasn't a force?  Does run not count since force was on when tag was made?

 

Sit. 2) 1 out.  R1 and R2.  Batter squares and pops up a bunt to F1.  IFF or not?

[TNCoach]

My thought is no IFF.

[cyclonehokiece]

Sit 1) Batter-Runner is put out before reaching first.  No runs can score.

Sit 2) No bunt can be an IFF.  Play on.

[UmpJM]

TNCoach,

 

1. The run does not score because the 3rd out was made on the BR before he touched 1B.

 

2. By definition, a bunt cannot be an IFF.

 

JM

[TNCoach]

Gotcha... Thats what I thought.

 

Any of you have trouble going from FED to OBR?  That is what I worry about the most. 

[cyclonehokiece]

Gotcha... Thats what I thought.

 

Any of you have trouble going from FED to OBR?  That is what I worry about the most. 

Get the BRD, it helps.  Little things you have to remember, but not too bad.

[NFUA_44]

Coach,

One of the best ways to start to understand the rule book and get a grasp on how the rules fit together is to fully understand the "Defenitions" portion of any rulebook.  In OBR it's Chapter 2.  As JM pointed out a bunt can not be an IFF "by definition".  In the spoiler tag below I have listed the Def. for IFF in OBR.  Look up the Def. for IFF in FED and compare the two.  It's a great exercise that some of my old mentor's used to make us young bucks (back then!) understand the differences between what we think we know, and how it's defined.

 

An INFIELD FLY is a fair ball (not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt) which can be caught by

an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first, second and third bases are occupied,
before two are out. The pitcher, catcher and any outfielder who stations himself in the infield on the play
shall be considered infielders for the purpose of this rule.  When it seems apparent that a batted ball will be an Infield Fly, the umpire shall immediately declare “Infield Fly†for the benefit of the runners. If the ball is near the baselines, the umpire shall declare “Infield Fly, if Fair.†The ball is alive and runners may advance at the risk of the ball being caught, or retouch and advance after the ball is touched, the same as on any fly bal. If the hit becomes a foul ball, it is treated the same
as any foul.
If a declared Infield Fly is allowed to fall untouched to the ground, and bounces foul before passing
first or third base, it is a foul ball. If a declared Infield Fly falls untouched to the ground outside the
baseline, and bounces fair before passing first or third base, it is an Infield Fly.

[noumpere]

SOmeone once told me the baset way to go from one to another is to "forget" all you know about umpiring and the detailed ruels, and then just read the mew rule book as if it's the first time.  Lots of "I didn't know that" moments that we all had and that all fans would have if they'd read the book.  But, now you know the new one.

 

Then go back through the book and make your own notes about what differences are important.  Keep the list and review it before each game.

[mstaylor]

Absolutely read rule 2.00 before trying to learn any other rules. Most think they know the definitions but there is a ton of info there that makes the rest much easier to understand. 

[Thunderheads]

Gotcha... Thats what I thought.

 

Any of you have trouble going from FED to OBR?  That is what I worry about the most. 

Get the BRD, it helps.  Little things you have to remember, but not too bad.

Coach, ....

more specifically .......

Carl Childress:  Baseball Rule Differences 

Gotcha... Thats what I thought.

 

Any of you have trouble going from FED to OBR?  That is what I worry about the most. 

Both answers to your questions are the same for both codes ...... 99.99% sure .......

[Pops]

Gotcha... Thats what I thought.

 

Any of you have trouble going from FED to OBR?  That is what I worry about the most. 

If you're worried about going back and forth from FED to OBR, please know that most of us do this throughout the baseball season.  As you are researching the rule books and other references, take some notes on those situations which you know will be different. Then review these differences before each game until they become easy to remember. I still do this after years of umpiring.  And don't be afraid of your first couple of games. Just be confident and build on it each game.