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Steven Tyler
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Easy situation. Ball hit to F6.  He throws to 1B, but the ball hits in the dirt, bounces up and F3 traps the throw against body which is not a catch.  

Next question.  The ball bounces off F3 and he has the ball in his glove or in his throwing hand.  However, the ball is on the ground.  He has control of the ball though.

Is having control of the ball while it touching the ground considered a catch in this situation?

If possible could you post the rule, the rule set, and please cut and paste the wording of the rule.  All this is near impossible on my phone.

Thanks.

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13 minutes ago, Steven Tyler said:

Next question.  The ball bounces off F3 and he has the ball in his glove or in his throwing hand.  However, the ball is on the ground.  He has control of the ball though.

Is having control of the ball while it touching the ground considered a catch in this situation?

If possible could you post the rule, the rule set, and please cut and paste the wording of the rule.  All this is near impossible on my phone.

Thanks.

Mr Tyler, walk this way...

Yes, having control of the ball is key and it will be in the umpire's judgment as to if he has control or not.  The rule below specifically mentions the ball may be touching the ground in his glove.   If the ball can touch a glove and the ground and it is okay, then the hand and ground is okay as well.  Again, the key is that the fielder has control of the ball and is not just simply trapping the ball against the ground.

NFHS Rule 2-9-1

2-9-1   A catch is the act of a fielder in getting secure possession in his hand or glove of a live ball in flight and firmly holding it, provided he does not use his cap, protector, mask, pocket or other part of his uniform to trap the ball. The catch of a fly ball by a fielder is not completed until the continuing action of the catch is completed. A fielder who catches a ball and then runs into a wall or another player and drops the ball has not made a catch. A fielder, at full speed, who catches a ball and whose initial momentum carries him several more yards after which the ball drops from his glove has not made a catch. When the fielder, by his action of stopping, removing the ball from his glove, etc., signifies the initial action is completed and then drops the ball, will be judged to have made the catch. The same definition of a catch would apply when making a double play. It is considered a catch if a fielder catches a fair or foul ball and then steps or falls into a bench, dugout, stand, bleacher or over any boundary or barrier, such as a fence, rope, chalk line, or a pregame determined imaginary boundary line from the field of play. Falling into does not include merely running against such object. (See 2-24-4 for fielder juggling ball and 8-4-1c for intentionally dropped ball; 2-16-2 and 5-1-1d for ball striking catcher before touching his glove.) It is not a catch when a fielder touches a batted ball in flight which then contacts a member of the offensive team or an umpire and is then caught by a defensive player.

NOTE: When a batted ball or a pitch is involved, the above definition of a catch applies. For any other thrown ball, the term is used loosely to also apply to a pick-up or to the trapping of a low throw which has touched the ground. A fielder may have the ball in his grasp even though it is touching the ground while in his glove.

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2 hours ago, Steven Tyler said:

Easy situation. Ball hit to F6.  He throws to 1B, but the ball hits in the dirt, bounces up and F3 traps the throw against body which is not a catch.  

Next question.  The ball bounces off F3 and he has the ball in his glove or in his throwing hand.  However, the ball is on the ground.  He has control of the ball though.

Is having control of the ball while it touching the ground considered a catch in this situation?

If possible could you post the rule, the rule set, and please cut and paste the wording of the rule.  All this is near impossible on my phone.

Thanks.

First - it's not a "catch" in any scenario (by strict definition)...the ball isn't "in flight" as it hit the ground - and though the definition of "in flight" does apply to thrown balls, no fielder is required to "catch" a thrown ball...and if this is just a ground ball to the first basemen, F3 is not required to "catch" that ball either...the question isn't whether or not this is a catch, it's whether or not this is a "tag" ( of either the runner or the base)...so it's the definition of "tag" you need to reference, not "catch".

And all you need to determine about that is whether or not the ball is held securely in the hand or glove.

In short - this is going to be a pure judgment call - I've seen umps want to see the ball lifted off the ground to show control...I don't see any rule requiring it, but I can't argue with how some will want to measure that standard....it's a guideline no less valid than breaking the wrists or crossing the plane of the plate to decide if someone "struck at" the pitch.

Even in @wolfe_man's example above, which does clarify that in FED the term "catch" has a looser definition with thrown balls, the clarification says "MAY have the ball..." - ultimately that says, to me, that an umpire can correctly rule a ball on the ground securely held, or not, by judgment.

 

From OBR - no qualifier, nor disqualifier, pertaining to the ground.

A TAG is the action of a fielder in touching a base with his body while holding the ball securely and firmly in his hand or glove; or touching a runner with the ball, or with his hand or glove holding the ball (not including hanging laces alone), while holding the ball securely and firmly in his hand or glove. It is not a tag, however, if simultaneously or immediately following his touching a base or touching a runner, the fielder drops the ball. In establishing the validity of the tag, the fielder shall hold the ball long enough to prove that he has complete control of the ball. If the fielder has made a tag and drops the ball while in the act of making a throw following the tag, the tag shall be adjudged to have been made

FED not as pretty - but same standard..."securely held"

ART. 1 . . . A force-out is a putout during which a runner who is being forced to advance is tagged out, or is put out by a fielder who holds the ball while touching the base toward which the forced runner is advancing (9-1-1 for special case.)

ART. 4 . . . A tag out is the put out of a runner, including the batterrunner, who is not in contact with his base when touched with a live ball, or with the glove or hand when the live ball is held securely therein by a fielder. The ball is not considered as having been securely held if it is juggled or dropped after the touching, unless the runner deliberately knocks the ball from the hand of the fielder (8-4-2h2).

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