ASA ruling .. Foul tip vs foul ball

[jomatiky]

Does anybody know the ruling (section & rule) on the height for a foul tip to become a foul ball. :oops:

[lmsans]

Rule 1 The Definitions

Foul Tip: A batted ball that goes sharply and directly from the bat to the catcher's hand(s) or glove/mitt and is legally caught by the catcher.

My emphasis. Height is not mentioned in the rules.

[Richard_Siegel]

Does anybody know the ruling (section & rule) on the height for a foul tip to become a foul ball. :oops:

I haven't looked at an ASA rulebook in 10 years. In FED softball it used to say the ball had to go higher than the batter's head to become a foul pop up that could be caught for an out. That requirement was removed about 5 years ago. I think caused some confusion because in baseball a batted ball that can be called a foul tip must go sharp and direct to the catcher's hands. If a batted ball DID NOT go sharp and direct then is was NOT a foul tip, and thus could become a foul pop up. But in softball, that old requirment created a zone of uncertainty where a batted ball had not gone sharp and direct to the catcher's hands, and did not go high than the batter's head to become a foul pop up that could be caught for an out. So what do you call it????? It left the situation ripe for an argument from one side or the other.

Removing that to go higher than the batter's head, allowed it to be judged as a foul tip, or NOT a foul tiip. Much simpler to deal with.

[jomatiky]

In the 2008 ASA rule book on page 110 of the rules suppliment it states that the rule change was instituted in 2006. It states a foul ball with perceptible arc caught by the catcher is an out just as if any other fielder catches a foul ball. So it sounds like if I think the ball went up and is caught it is an out. It is just a hard rule to call and even harder to explain to the team charged with the out without a rule #. :oops:

[patrick s]

Richard, I'm sorry, but you're wrong. The phrase, "no higher than the batters head" was never used to judge a foul ball, it was in the definition of a foul tip. As in, it couldn't BR a foul tip if it went higher than the batters head. That phrase was dropped in 2005.

[heyblue26]

Richard, I'm sorry, but you're wrong. The phrase, "no higher than the batters head" was never used to judge a foul ball, it was in the definition of a foul tip. As in, it couldn't BR a foul tip if it went higher than the batters head. That phrase was dropped in 2005.

Patrick I know that you are new to this form and welcome and we all come here to learn some do softball others do both baseball and softball. i do not do the later of the two. But Richard is a very knowledgeable umpire and knows what he is talking about its alright to disagree with someone and as he stated he has not looked at a ASA rulebook for about 10 yrs and then he mentions the FED rules and what it use to say. Again welcome

[patrick s]

Thank you for the welcome! I'm not just disagreeing to disagree, I'm trying to correct errors. I am supplying rule cites for everything I post.