Foul tip vs. caught foul ball

[RBIbaseball]

Had a situation where the batter reached down and bunted a ball, making contact 2 feet off the ground. The ball hit off the end of the bat with some crazy English and popped up about 2 more feet in the air (most likely would have landed a foot or so behind the plate). Catcher came forward it it bounced off his arm, then chest, then catch.

 

I was BU, and my partner called the batter out on a catch.

 

Coach argued that a foul ball "has to go over the batters head".

 

My partner walked out to me for help, and asked if the ball went over the batters head. I told him no, but probably just under the chin. I said Im gonna be honest, I don't know the rule , but I'm not convinced the batters height is relevant.

 

I told him my understanding is sharp and direct into the catcher, which it definitely was not. It was in the air for close to two seconds I would guess and that it felt like a pop up and a catch to me. I have an out. Let's stick with it. He agreed, and we moved on. 

 

Long story for this question:

 

What determines whether the ball is foul tipped vs goes high enough to be caught for an out ? Does a bunt vs swing change anything?

 

This was NHFS, does the ruleset change the answer as well?

[Senor Azul]

FED rule 2-6-2 a fly ball is a batted ball which rises an appreciable height above the ground.

FED case play 2.16.2 Situation C tells us that a caught foul fly goes high into the air with a perceptible arc.

[noumpere]

If it's not a foul tip, it's a foul ball (and, thus, a catch and an out).  A foul tip must be sharp and direct.  Yours wasn't.  Ergo.....

[The Man in Blue]

“I don't know the rule , but I'm not convinced the batters height is relevant.”

Line of the day!  Love it!

 

NFHS calls for a fly ball to “rise an appreciable height over the ground.”  That is as close as you get to guidance from the rule book.  Well, that and a foul tip definition.  The case plays for foul tips introduce the “perceptible arc” standard.

(I was slow typing at the laundromat … @Senor Azul sniped me!  😁)

[RBIbaseball]

58 minutes ago, The Man in Blue said:

“I don't know the rule , but I'm not convinced the batters height is relevant.”

Line of the day!  Love it!

 

@Senor Azul

😁

Ya obviously I'm paraphrasing a bit.

 

My partner was seemingly eating up the height explanation . I asked him, are you saying what the coach said is in fact the rule, that it has to go over his head? Are you sure? Cause it definitely did not go over his head.

He kinda shrugged like a yes, but not wanting to admit he has no idea.

I said who's head? The 5' 6" catcher, or the 6'4" batter? What if the batter was 5' even? What if the batter was 7' tall?

Then I finished it off with that batters height being relevant line, lol

 

That's when he was like ya, I don't know. Ya me neither . So we stuck with our gut.