Why did I do this?

[Shawn0331]

I was working PU.  Batter pops it up between third and home right inside the line.  F6 is crashing hard to try and catch it.  It bounces in fair territory, nearly hits F6, then bounds into foul territory.  I threw my arms up signaling a foul ball but I didn't say anything.  Then I lost my mind for a second.  For some reason I started to signal fair ball after someone yelled "He touched it" but I was able to pull my right arm back (I still had my left arm up) and semi sell the foul call.  This happened within a second or two and ultimately the call was correct. It was a foul ball.  No harm done.  I was just mad at myself for being indecisive which normally I do not have an issue with.  I'm sure there are some stories out there about Umpires changing fair to foul or vice versa.  I'm going to try and not do that again.

[Replacematt]

7 minutes ago, Shawn0331 said:

I was working PU.  Batter pops it up between third and home right inside the line.  F6 is crashing hard to try and catch it.  It bounces in fair territory, nearly hits F6, then bounds into foul territory.  I threw my arms up signaling a foul ball but I didn't say anything.  Then I lost my mind for a second.  For some reason I started to signal fair ball after someone yelled "He touched it" but I was able to pull my right arm back (I still had my left arm up) and semi sell the foul call.  This happened within a second or two and ultimately the call was correct. It was a foul ball.  No harm done.  I was just mad at myself for being indecisive which normally I do not have an issue with.  I'm sure there are some stories out there about Umpires changing fair to foul or vice versa.  I'm going to try and not do that again.

Take your time. Ironically, trying to rush being decisive leads to indecisiveness, because then there's thoughts of whether you missed something relevant. On fair/foul, you have the entire play to make that call--no need to hurry it. 

By your description, the status of the ball wasn't determined at the time you started to make your call. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, but I think the way you wrote your narrative of events has a grain of why you felt indecisive.

[Shawn0331]

Good advice about taking my time.  Yes I know it is hard to paint the picture accurately with words but when I started making the call the ball was in fact foul.  I just started to second guess myself when the guy yelled "He touched it."  Had I just slowed down and and not rushed I would have been in a much better place. Thanks for the insight Matt!

[Replacematt]

26 minutes ago, Shawn0331 said:

Good advice about taking my time.  Yes I know it is hard to paint the picture accurately with words but when I started making the call the ball was in fact foul.  I just started to second guess myself when the guy yelled "He touched it."  Had I just slowed down and and not rushed I would have been in a much better place. Thanks for the insight Matt!

For clarification--had it come to rest, been touched, or passed third base at the time you started your call? If so, taking that extra second just to confirm in your brain that you have what happened is what will save you. On many foul balls that touch foul territory before reaching the base, I don't even make a call until something happens where I have to--they tend to become "more" foul after the criteria are met.

[Shawn0331]

1 minute ago, Matt said:

For clarification--had it come to rest, been touched, or passed third base at the time you started your call? If so, taking that extra second just to confirm in your brain that you have what happened is what will save you. On many foul balls that touch foul territory before reaching the base, I don't even make a call until something happens where I have to--they tend to become "more" foul after the criteria are met.

When I started my call is had been picked up in foul territory by F2.  Regardless I should have taken that extra second. 

[Replacematt]

19 minutes ago, Shawn0331 said:

When I started my call is had been picked up in foul territory by F2.  Regardless I should have taken that extra second. 

Ok, just making sure. One of the things that helps in this forum is having every relevant item, even if it's seemingly inferential or redundant. Sometimes it becomes apparent that the question asked isn't the one that needs answering, or there's additional opportunities for follow-on advice (both for the poster and for others.) More often, it just helps us make sure we are giving the absolute best response for the given situation. 

[maven]

You don't mention other base runners—if there were none, then you really do have all day to make this call. With F2 getting out to the ball, the BR won't advance to 2B.

Timing is almost always the answer to this kind of indecisiveness. Rushing to signal something engages your body before your mind has digested what your eyes have seen. People see themselves on video and realize that what might feel like a long time, isn't really. 

[Replacematt]

8 hours ago, maven said:

You don't mention other base runners—if there were none, then you really do have all day to make this call. With F2 getting out to the ball, the BR won't advance to 2B.

Even with baserunners, you do. Foul is foul--what you don't want to do is take away a fair ball.