Calling Infield Fly - Does the Fielder matter?

[Velho]

Curious how others see calling Infield Fly.

I've often heard 'wait until the fielder is camped under the ball' as a deciding factor but have also been told at my LL Regional camp that it's about the location of the ball. A high enough pop-up in the infield is IFF regardless of what the fielders do.

Is 'ordinary effort' dependent on the location of the ball or the actions of the fielders on that play? Is there a difference between small filed and big field?

Two examples plays (let's assume for discussion these were both IFF situations)

 

[834k3r]

I've been taught to track the ball and call IFF at the peak (or shortly after). In my experience, if the ball is high enough it probably means the infielders are going to have "ordinary effort" regardless.

The difference between LL and almost ever other game is that LL players have a way of making ordinary plays look more difficult than they really are--and that makes for bad optics when IFF is called and the player has to dive to catch a popup. As you know, the issue with that is we as umpires can't wait to call IFF to see how the infielder plays the ball.

[The Man in Blue]

@Velho, you skipped the two most important words that go with ordinary effort: could be.

The actual actions of the fielders are irrelevant.

I have IFF on both of those videos (based on the conversation, not the actual situation in the videos).

[Senor Azul]

OBR actually has an entry for the term "ordinary effort" in its Definitions of Terms. Some guidance is also provided in the 2021 MiLBUM.

"...the umpire must consider the effort that a fielder of average skill should exhibit on a play, with due consideration given to the condition of the field and weather conditions (e.g., rain, wind, etc.). The sun is not a factor when determining ordinary effort."

Little League RIM has an Instructor's comment that tells the umpire to evaluate the age of the division not the individual player's skill. The comment is for the "Infield Fly" entry in the Definitions (rule 2.0).

 

[SeeingEyeDog]

I'd like to add the following to the discussion...

FED, R1, R2 and less than 2 outs. The batter hits the ball nearly straight up and very high. The ball if untouched would have landed right where the front of the mound flattens out onto the field. F1 looks up as the ball is hit and gets a face full of sun and loses sight of the baseball. For him, this play would have been ordinary effort. I'm in C and here comes F6 roaring into the play. He slides feet first trying to make a catch and the ball hits him in the leg (my partner signals fair). Neither of us called IFF on this play and all runners advanced safely one base. Nobody said a word on this and in post-game both my partner and I were unsure about whether this play met the criteria or not...

What do you have here, brothers?

~Dawg

[Senor Azul]

Mr. SeeingEyeDog, an infield fly should have been called in your play. Here's why...

The pitcher is an infielder. The fly ball was close enough for ordinary effort. The sun is not supposed to be a factor in the decision. 

It is interesting that FED does not define ordinary effort in rules nor in the case plays. According to the 2016 BRD, FED has no provision at all to define the term even though it is used in the definition of the term "infield fly" in rule 2-19.

 

[Velho]

Thanks all for your insights and experience. Let’s take this to a extreme to pressure test that the fielders actions aren’t a factor: let’s say defense is in a shift with F5 in SS and F6 behind 2B (or F5 crashes for possible bunt leaving F6 as only left side fielder, if your prefer that). IFF qualifying pop up that’s on 3B line which  F5 in normal position would handle fine but because of positioning it’s not ordinary effort for fielder because of positioning. 

in other words, we’ve established fielder doesn’t to make any action but is IFF fielder position at TOP dependent?

[The Man in Blue]

Yes, starting positioning should be considered.  See the Cardinals play from a few years back.

[UmpireTommy]

Just another thing to add here, the NFHS rule says “An infield fly is a fair fly (not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort.” Which means it can still be an infield fly even if the outfielder catches or attempts to catch the ball as long the ball had the ability to be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort.

[maven]

11 hours ago, Velho said:

Two examples plays (let's assume for discussion these were both IFF situations)

The first one (youth) I could see passing on IFF. The pro game is definitely IFF.

9 hours ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

FED, R1, R2 and less than 2 outs. The batter hits the ball nearly straight up and very high. The ball if untouched would have landed right where the front of the mound flattens out onto the field. F1 looks up as the ball is hit and gets a face full of sun and loses sight of the baseball. For him, this play would have been ordinary effort.

Definitely IFF. The key is the last sentence.

Remember: IFF protects the offense. It's not a crutch for the defense, we're not helping the defense, we're not "bailing out bad play." Call it even when the defense screws up (though obviously what counts as "ordinary effort" will vary by level).

The critical concept with IFF is that the popup CAN be caught with ordinary effort (at this level of ball). Not that THIS FIELDER can or will do so, or that SOME FIELDER is in a position to do so, or if it weren't for the sun etc. etc.

The pro clip is a perfect example: the defense misplays the popup near the mound, and it falls untouched. Depending on how high it went and what the BR did, that's a recipe for a cheap double play if we don't get IFF. The purpose of the rule is precisely to prevent cheap double plays: these fielders didn't (it appears) do it on purpose, but that's irrelevant. Had they been able to record a double play, it would have been of the cheap variety.

As for whether this approach is unfair to the offense: well, the batter just popped up with runners on 1B and 2B. He failed. Why does he deserve help from us?

[Vegas_Ump]

Going to turn this one around!

Sitch:  Bases loaded.  Infield is way in because they have to cut off the run at the plate.  I was Field Ump.

B4 hits a popup (not too high, but it constituted the definition of a fly ball) that dropped just at the outfield grass.

DM wanted an IFF, and I explained that the effort needed by F6 to catch that ball would have been extra-ordinary, and thus this did not fit with the definition of an IFF.  F6 turned and tried--ran like heck!--but the ball dropped in a few yards before he got there.  Clearly, had F6 been playing in his normal position, it would have been a can of corn catch.

Post game, the PU concurred on the no-call.  Point is, you will have opportunities  to No-Call an IFF!

Mike

Las Vegas

[BigBlue4u]

On 8/11/2023 at 5:16 PM, Velho said:

Is 'ordinary effort' dependent on the location of the ball or the actions of the fielders on that play? Is there a difference between small filed and big field?

No.  Ordinary effort is ordinary effort. Here is one of the most famous infield fly situations on record: