Odd IFF Arguement.

[LittleBlue]

Before we start, let me say, I don't know what I was thinking accepting a middle school softball game, but I guess I made my own bed.

 

Bases loaded, no outs. Infield in. Ball is hit and drops just on the lip of the outfield grass. Let me tell you there is no such thing as ordinary effort in this game. I could toss a ball to the pitcher and it might be an adventure. Anyway, no IFF call. R1 freezes and get forced it at 2nd. BR thinks she's out and gets forced out at 1st. R2 and R3 stay put so no runs score and we get 2 outs on the play.

Defensive coach starts saying "that's infield fly, blue! Why isn't that infield fly?" I just said "no ordinary effort coach." She replied "what's that mean? It's bases loaded, it's automatically infield fly." At this point it dawns on me, why is the defensive coach arguing for me to call IFF if the no-call worked out better for them?

Coach drops the arguement and we play on....and on and on and on (27-18 final). She comes up to me an inning later and asks what ordinary effort means. I tell her and she's satisfied with the answer, but still thinks I should have called it. She then said "I know it worked out for us, but I like to play the game fair." I'm like "good, good. That's a good thing to teach the girls" while in the back of my mind I'm like "just take the benefit of the call and move on because lord knows there are going to be more calls that go against you team."

Anyway, just though I would share the odd argument I had yesterday. Would there be any reason for a defensive coach to argue for IFF in this case? The funny thing is the offensive coach said it was the right call and that F4 had no shot to catch the ball. Must be in some backwards  dimension again.

[johnpatrick]

Two things when the defense argues for an IFF:

1. I know I got it right

2. My stock answer: "if it was so easy skip, why didn't your fielder just catch the ball?"

[Larry in TN]

Having not seen the play, I'm also wondering what you meant by "no ordinary effort".

Did you mean that the ball was not catchable by an infielder with ordinary effort or do you mean that no infielder displayed ordinary effort?

 

[maven]

Remember that "ordinary effort" is relative to players at that level of ball, not to players in that particular game.

As described (and assuming that softball's rule is the same as baseball's), I think I'd have IFF.

[BrianC14]

3 hours ago, LittleBlue said:

(27-18 final)

What a shame.... all the other team needed was one more touchdown and a 2-point conversion and they could have won.   

Oh, wait....    

My knees ache just reading that score.

Anyway, sounds like you got a nice gift when the defense got the two outs.   Take it and run.

[Mussgrass]

3 hours ago, maven said:

Remember that "ordinary effort" is relative to players at that level of ball, not to players in that particular game.

As described (and assuming that softball's rule is the same as baseball's), I think I'd have IFF.

Maven, I am not in any way questioning your knowledge and expertise. However, where does the criteria of having the fielder camped under the fly ball come into play. I thought that is how ordinary effort is judged.

Please help a newbie umpire here! We don't even have IFF in my rec league. I did a church slow pitch game a few weeks ago where I called 2 IFF's.

[maven]

32 minutes ago, Mussgrass said:

However, where does the criteria of having the fielder camped under the fly ball come into play. I thought that is how ordinary effort is judged.

Sure, a fielder camped under a popup is a good guideline for "ordinary effort," but it is not a criterion or strict test (it's also not in the rule). A high popup over the mound that no fielder sees or bothers to field is still playable with "ordinary effort," it's just that in this case no fielder exerted ordinary effort.

The idea is to call IFF on a ball that can be caught with ordinary effort — it's possible, at that level of ball, for an infielder to catch it with ordinary effort — not that it will be or actually is caught with ordinary effort (though, as I say, that's a guideline).

[noumpere]

Try this guideline:

If all of the above are true, call the IFF:

A) The weather is good enough (not too windy) to still be playing.

B) The players are old enough to understand (at some level) the IFF and to make routine plays

C) The ball is high enough for the umpire to say "Infield Fly. Batter out if fair." between the apex and the ball reaching the ground.

D) The ball lands between the plate and the dirt portion of the infield

 

(Note that you can still have an IFF if some (or all?) of the above are not true -- its just that you need to see something else before calling it.)

[MT73]

In an 18U  softball game I called IF when the shortstop went about 10 feet into the outfield to catch a  routine fly ball.

The coach went crazy, shouting, "How can you call Infield Fly when she was in the outfield!!!"

Then he went on to say in very sarcastic manner, " Infield fly, Blue. Infield fly!!! Get it?? She has to be in the infield!!!"

I tried not to but I could not help chuckling out loud before telling him that it was time to move on.