This one was a first for me. In a girls senior softball game, there was a runner on first and one out. The batter (left handed) bunted the ball up into the air (not higher than me) and the catcher dove out in front of the plate (nice play) and caught the ball cleanly in her glove in fair territory. I signal a catch and an out! The catcher then jumps up and throws the ball to the first baseman to double off the runner on first. Three outs!
Now the discussion begins. The coach comes out to argue that the ball must travel "at least 6 feet" if it is to be considered an in-flight catch. Please note that the coach is an experienced umpire that I have respect for but I have never heard of that before!
I spoke with my base umpire and we agreed that the call stands. No further discussion was needed and the coach went back to his dugout.
Comments? Thanks ....
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