How often do you actually call an Infield Fly?

[RBIbaseball]

1 hour ago, noumpere said:

"Opps" [sic] is right.

 

It *could* have been caught with ordinary effort.  It *should* have been called.

Had a fly ball that was hit fairly high. Probably 7-8 seconds in the air.

I called infield fly just before it hit it's apex, as it seemed very routine, but up to that point I was only watching the ball. 

The ball ended up dropping about 6 feet behind 3B and 10 feet off the line. Either the SS or the F5 could have camped under it for a few seconds easily.

 

But instead, F5 ran in a couple steps, misjudged it, then found it, then backpedaled about 10 steps as he called it, then turned and tried to catch it willie mays over the shoulder. Suffice it to say it tipped off his glove and he dropped the ball. SS stood there in concrete and watched F5 fail.

 

Coach was livid that I didn't allow his kids to "play the game" and he would have had bases loaded. Saying that because F5 was off the base his kid would have made it to 3B. Argued that it wasn't ordinary effort.

 

If you snapshot a free frame as the kid is going to catch it, I would agree. But it SHOULD have been ordinary effort (14U travel ball) and I would say would have been caught while camping under it 8/10 times at this skill level.

 

I saw him a couple weeks later and he said, did you see the tiktok I posted of your infield fly? ... you got roasted... I just responded with, I heard those Tik Tok umpires are the best of the best.

-------------

I brought it up at a HS association breakfast and there was like a 50/50 split. A lot of folks were saying to watch the fielders and if they misjudge it, don't call it. Other agreed you call it, cause if there could still easily be a double play, you have to call it whether they misjudged it or not.

[Velho]

1 minute ago, RBIbaseball said:

I saw him a couple weeks later and he said, did you see the tiktok I posted of your infield fly? ... you got roasted... I just responded with, I heard those Tik Tok umpires are the best of the best.

Good on ya!

1 minute ago, RBIbaseball said:

I brought it up at a HS association breakfast and there was like a 50/50 split. A lot of folks were saying to watch the fielders and if they misjudge it, don't call it. Other agreed you call it, cause if there could still easily be a double play, you have to call it whether they misjudged it or not.

This. This has been the question I've never gotten a satisfactory answer on (to my personal taste). Is it called when

1) this precise batted ball, with these players doing what they are doing, will catch it with normal effort?

Or

2) This precise ball being hit to that spot, with where the defense was positioned when the ball was hit, should be caught with normal effort?

Extreme example that comes to mind: pop fly to exact spot F6 is standing on as the ball is hit. F6 runs away as if chased by a bee: INF or play on? 

 

[RBIbaseball]

23 minutes ago, Velho said:

Good on ya!

This. This has been the question I've never gotten a satisfactory answer on (to my personal taste). Is it called when

1) this precise batted ball, with these players doing what they are doing, will catch it with normal effort?

Or

2) This precise ball being hit to that spot, with where the defense was positioned when the ball was hit, should be caught with normal effort?

Extreme example that comes to mind: pop fly to exact spot F6 is standing on as the ball is hit. F6 runs away as if chased by a bee: INF or play on? 

 

I also have never been satisfied with an answer on this.

Currently how I conduct business:

1. Level of Play - I take this into account. I personally don't do much under 14 years old, if ever, but you obviously have to take that into play. The nice thing is, with younger kids, if they aren't good enough to make a pop fly look ordinary, they probably aren't good enough to turn a double play.

2. Wind/Rain - I take this into play. If the wind is swirling, I'm going to be a little slower to call it a infield fly due to the fact my "gut" doesn't process how "ordinary" it is as quickly.

3. Position of the players - Definitely relevant. Infield playing in the grass to cut a runner at home, and a high pop up to outfield grass... probably a running catch... probably not infield fly. Standard depth, probably IFF every time.

THIS ALL BEING SAID. My biggest take away from bringing it up to my HS colleagues was this a point one of the guys made:

"The winds could be swirling and it could be extremely difficult to track the ball, but if the ball lands right behind the pitcher's mound at the feet of a fielder who could easily make a double play, then you should have called it to protect the runners regardless of whether they made it look ordinary or not."

I thought this was a good point.

[MadMax]

3 hours ago, MarsOmega said:

I have had 2 infield fly's in one inning during a LL Majors game.

🥱 Oh yeah? If you ever top that by calling three… let us know. 

[Mudisfun]

4 hours ago, noumpere said:

"Opps" [sic] is right.

 

It *could* have been caught with ordinary effort.  It *should* have been called.

If any of the 3 actually put in an effort, I would have called it. All 3 stopping, staring at each other and not attempting to play the ball? That does not sound like ordinary effort.

[The Man in Blue]

Ordinary effort in the infield fly rule is not what they actually do, it is what they are expected to do.

Pre-pitch, take a mental snapshot of the fielders and note their “expected” range.  Don’t wait until the bird $#!+ is already falling.

[RBIbaseball]

15 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

Ordinary effort in the infield fly rule is not what they actually do, it is what they are expected to do.

 

This ^^^^ is the way I judge it. But there are some experienced umpires in my association that don't subscribe to this, so they all just said "it's up to you - nobody is wrong".

I disagree. I think you're right and they're wrong, lol.

[beerguy55]

On 4/24/2024 at 6:32 AM, ArchAngel72 said:

🤨  

A player with his heels on the outfield grass is still an infielder correct?  I would go so far as to even say both feet on the grass within 3 feet or so of dirt.

 

Not in MLB anymore - the new shift rules require at least four infielders (plus pitcher/catcher) to be completely on the dirt at TOP.  Heel touching the outfield grass is an illegal shift.

[ArchAngel72]

1 hour ago, beerguy55 said:

Not in MLB anymore - the new shift rules require at least four infielders (plus pitcher/catcher) to be completely on the dirt at TOP.  Heel touching the outfield grass is an illegal shift.

Has MiLB, NCAA, or anyone below that adopted the shift rule?  

[Vegas_Ump]

There I was...... (Fighter Pilot Story)

I was in C with R1 and R2 in a LL softball game.  B3 hit a ball that seemed to go straight up but then its trajectory seemed to go towards right field--almost.  PU called IFF.  Then the ball sailed......kept going higher and farther out!  F9 hustled in but could not make the play.  Ball dropped well into the outfield.

Hindsight is 20/20, but I was going to wait on the IFF call.  As soon as the PU called it, I could see the actual trajectory of the ball, and I knew it was not an IFF.

After the play was over, PU announced he blew the call; he really thought we had an IFF!  He apologized, but he called it, and the batter was therefore ruled out.  (I thought I saw him looking for a stripe to crawl under.....)  

You can dissect this play several ways.  Point is, you really can call an IFF too soon.

Props to the PU for biting the bullet.

Mike

Las Vegas

[RBIbaseball]

15 hours ago, Vegas_Ump said:

There I was...... (Fighter Pilot Story)

I was in C with R1 and R2 in a LL softball game.  B3 hit a ball that seemed to go straight up but then its trajectory seemed to go towards right field--almost.  PU called IFF.  Then the ball sailed......kept going higher and farther out!  F9 hustled in but could not make the play.  Ball dropped well into the outfield.

Hindsight is 20/20, but I was going to wait on the IFF call.  As soon as the PU called it, I could see the actual trajectory of the ball, and I knew it was not an IFF.

After the play was over, PU announced he blew the call; he really thought we had an IFF!  He apologized, but he called it, and the batter was therefore ruled out.  (I thought I saw him looking for a stripe to crawl under.....)  

You can dissect this play several ways.  Point is, you really can call an IFF too soon.

Props to the PU for biting the bullet.

Mike

Las Vegas

If he knows he got it wrong, he can reverse the call, no?

Advance each runner one base if that's what you think would have happened.

Obviously not ideal, but iirc, you can correct this.

 

[cjroman]

I haven't called any this year, and only 4 the previous season (78 games). 

[Umpy]

I finally got one tonight, so now I'm 1 in 14 games this year

[johnnyg08]

How often? Often enough. There are lots of IFF situations in a season.