Infield fly?

[Nic]

11U USSSA 

0 outs. 1B holding R1, 2B holding R2.

Pop fly approx 30-35 feet up in the air, behind 1B but on edge of the dirt. 1B starts back two steps and suddenly vacates the position by running forward. At no point was he ever under the ball. He seemed to me to have misjudged the location of the pop up.

2B realizes this ball is not going to be caught by 1B and sprints from his position holding the runner at second with a great effort to within eight feet of where the ball dropped in, on the edge of dirt.  It bounds into the grass and rolls down the right field line and up against the fence, plating two and allowing batter-runner to reach 2B. 

DHC argues I messed this all up. Says it should have been infield fly regardless on such a play. Wants it to be 1 out 1B and 2B. 

I said nothing ordinary about. It took an extraordinary effort for 2B to get within eight feet or so. I'm not rewarding the defense for botching that play. 

Did I botch that call? A veteran umpire friend told me he would have called IFF and I cant see how that could be.

What do you have?

[Rich Ives]

4 minutes ago, Nic said:

11U USSSA 

0 outs. 1B holding R1, 2B holding R2.

Pop fly approx 30-35 feet up in the air, behind 1B but on edge of the dirt. 1B starts back two steps and suddenly vacates the position by running forward. At no point was he ever under the ball. He seemed to me to have misjudged the location of the pop up.

2B realizes this ball is not going to be caught by 1B and sprints from his position holding the runner at second with a great effort to within eight feet of where the ball dropped in, on the edge of dirt.  It bounds into the grass and rolls down the right field line and up against the fence, plating two and allowing batter-runner to reach 2B. 

DHC argues I messed this all up. Says it should have been infield fly regardless on such a play. Wants it to be 1 out 1B and 2B. 

I said nothing ordinary about. It took an extraordinary effort for 2B to get within eight feet or so. I'm not rewarding the defense for botching that play. 

Did I botch that call? A veteran umpire friend told me he would have called IFF and I cant see how that could be.

What do you have?

It was ordinary.   The rule is that it could be caught with ordinary effort.  If F3 had used ordinary effort it could have been caught. Brain farts are not an excuse.

[Nic]

Ahh, I understand the interpretation now. Thank you sir. 

[beerguy55]

7 hours ago, Nic said:

11U USSSA 

0 outs. 1B holding R1, 2B holding R2.

Pop fly approx 30-35 feet up in the air, behind 1B but on edge of the dirt. 1B starts back two steps and suddenly vacates the position by running forward. At no point was he ever under the ball. He seemed to me to have misjudged the location of the pop up.

2B realizes this ball is not going to be caught by 1B and sprints from his position holding the runner at second with a great effort to within eight feet of where the ball dropped in, on the edge of dirt.  It bounds into the grass and rolls down the right field line and up against the fence, plating two and allowing batter-runner to reach 2B. 

DHC argues I messed this all up. Says it should have been infield fly regardless on such a play. Wants it to be 1 out 1B and 2B. 

I said nothing ordinary about. It took an extraordinary effort for 2B to get within eight feet or so. I'm not rewarding the defense for botching that play. 

Did I botch that call? A veteran umpire friend told me he would have called IFF and I cant see how that could be.

What do you have?

Remember - this rule is not about rewarding the defense, it's about protecting the offense.  That's why you're making the call while the ball is in the air.  The ball could have easily taken a nice hop into R2's glove, and maybe he turns a double play...then you have the OHC out there wondering why you didn't call it.

 

Regardless...the coach's request for 1 out and R1/R2 is ridiculous...the best outcome he could hope for is batter out, and those two runs still score.

 

 

[noumpere]

8 hours ago, Nic said:

DHC argues I messed this all up. Says it should have been infield fly regardless on such a play. Wants it to be 1 out 1B and 2B.

Even IF it was Infield Fly Rule, R1 and R2 would still score on the play.

And, the rule exists to protect the offense, not to bail out the defense.  I'm probably letting the play stand.