Infield Fly call

I don't do softball, but in baseball the criteria is ordinary effort for an average fielder at that position. The intent of the rule is to protect the runners from a double play.

That being said, if I have a ball hit 30 feet in the air and landing between the rubber and the infielders, I'm going to have IFF every time, barring some extreme wind. Keep in mind, the pitcher is an infielder, too.

+1

So just to make sure I understand.....

Even if no infielder makes any move to attempt to catch the ball and by doing so allows the ball to drop probably 15 ft from the nearest infielder removing any threat or possibility of a double play, the IFF should still be called.

I get what you all are saying, but it seems like the intent of the rule isn't being fullfilled in this case. Because of the lack of attempt, none of the runners needed protecting to me. Had an infielder attempted to make a play, I think ordinary effort would have gotten them under the ball. However, if IFF is being are calling it immediately, which it sound like it should have been, I guess you wouldn't know if they are making an attempt or not. I am good with that.

BTW...the defense didn't move until the ball hit the ground and all the runners where in full sprint mode as soon as they saw the ball coming down without anyone near it. The runner scored from second easily and the runner from first ended up on third.

An infield fly is a fair fly ball that can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort.  No attempt is required.  In your situation, there were probably several infielders that could have caught the ball had they made an attempt.  It is also not an immediate call.  Generally, we are trained not to call an infield fly before the ball has reached its apex, and sometimes it is later than that, particularly when an infielder is chasing after it.  In that case, we will not call an infield fly until the fielder is camped under it.

You seem to be trying very hard to refute the proper ruling and the  answers being provided.  Better idea would be to read the rule.  Some advice I was given once:  If you aren't read for the answer, don't ask the question.

You answered your own question.

We had a different situation on Saturday, also in softball but HS.

Right side of infield looking into the setting sun, which is quite a demon on a dry, cloudless day in AZ.

R1 & R2, no outs, batter hits a slicing pop up between second baseman and first baseman into a 25 knt cross wind, all fielders looking into sun and shielding their eyes, ball slices towards first base line and ultimately lands just in the green past first baseman and slices into foul territory. HP has his arm up for INF, but pulled it down when he saw the totality of the situation.

I thought a good call given the situation, which exceeded ordinary effort (IMHO).

Not the appropriate call.

Nope, I am just making sure I understand. I have read the rule, all the replies up to this one and totally understand them now. I think my last reply was clear that I understand where I was off in my assessment and how I now get it.

I am not afraid of any answer for any question I ask, so you can avoid being a bit preachy on the next one...... just give it to me straight and let me deal with figuring it out.....

I probably didn't describe it well. The "green" in softball is quite a bit farther away, the ball wasn't hit that high and sliced. You had to be there...

Again, assuming the baseball criteria for ordinary effort...sun is not considered, but wind is.

So, if an infielder could have made the catch with ordinary effort, it's IFF. If not, no IFF. I have no opinion either way, given your description.

Given JMoff's description, I have no doubt that it wasn't an infield fly--foul balls never are. Could it be the umpire pulled his arm down when the ball became foul?

I think it landed fair in the OF grass and bounced foul.

So what?  It's still a foul ball.

Something else to note; The situation dictates the IFF, not the declaration.

No, it's not. If it lands fair past a base, it is fair.

Bingo!

I didn't think this side note in a game which decided the 19th or 20th place game in a HS softball tournament would garner so much attention, but I'm honored... I fear I haven't painted a good enough picture for the umpires here to properly rule on the play, so I'll try again.

The ball landed fair. It was blowing a gale and the sun was low in the sky in everyone's face. The part that is hard to describe is how the ball (RH batter) was hit off the handle and sliced to the green behind first base. Given this SB situation, the first baseman was playing six feet in front of the bag and the second baseman was hovering around second base due to the runner's position. The ball was hit between the first baseman and second baseman but the gale sliced it to the line, about 10' into the green about 3' from the foul line. The second baseman made a valiant effort, but the ball simply sliced away from her. The first baseman, an ample young lady with a ball hit 30' directly over her head simply had no chance other than to run to first and hope for a play.

I've been scoring games forever. From LL baseball in 1974 until this game in 2013, I don't claim to know what I'm doing, but under no circumstance do I ever score that play as a catch that should be made under "ordinary effort" at the HS SB level of play. No way, no how. My understanding of the INFF rule is it needs to be an ordinary effort play. That simply was not the case here.

From where I was sitting, looking directly down the first base line where the HP lined himself up to see the play, I saw his hand go up and then down. He made the right call as simply stated, it wasn't an ordinary effort play. The ball dropped and he let the play continue.

Doesn't sound like an IFF for two reasons, it wasn't a fly ball and the wind caused it not to be ordinary effort. Sun does not play into it at all. When determining an IFF ask this question, could the fielder take four or five steps and still catch it with ordinary effort, if so call the IFF.