I have a question about what ordinary effort on the catchers part means in the pass ball ruling. If a pitch is called for outside corner (the catcher sets up outside), but the pitcher throws the pitch that tails into the batter inside. If the catcher doesn't handle the ball and the ball does not hit the ground before the catcher, but tips off his glove. Is that considered ordinary effort, so a passed ball or wild pitch?
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What you describe sounds like a passed ball to me. Sometimes passed balls are the pitcher's fault, such as when he crosses up a catcher. But it's pretty much a passed ball if it doesn't hit the ground, unless it's over the head, behind the batter or way way outside.
Here's what OBR says:
Rule 2.00: "ORDINARY EFFORT is the effort that a fielder of average skill at a position in that league or classification of leagues should exhibit on a play, with due consideration given to the condition of the field and weather conditions.
Rule 2.00 (Ordinary Effort) Comment: This standard ... is an objective standard in regard to any particular fielder. In other words, even if a fielder makes his best effort, if that effort falls short of what an average fielder at that position in that league would have made in a situation, the official scorer should charge that fielder with an error."
Start with the definition of a wild pitch: "when a ball legally delivered to the batter is so high, or so low (including any pitch that touches the ground in front of home plate), or so far away from home plate that the catcher does not stop or control it with ordinary effort . . . "
Notice that missing the catcher's target is not part of the definition of a wild pitch.
How far from home plate was the pitch? Should a catcher at this level be expected to move his glove two feet in time to catch the ball?
The only way to judge Ordinary Effort is to have enough experience to be able to tell what the “average” player would have done. When trying to determine whether a pitch should be judged a passed ball or wild pitch, the scorer has to have that wide experience too. FI, if a scorer only scores JV ball for a small school, s/he really isn’t able to judge what average would be for a large school. Itss nothing difficult, but it does require experience.
Unfortunately, there are no criteria carved in stone, so each scorer has to come up with his/her own criteria. In GENERAL, here’s mine. If a pitch doesn’t touch the ground and the catcher has to move the glove more than his glove arm will reach without somehow extending it by some form of body movement like twisting or raising up from the crouch, chances are I’m gonna score a passed ball.
Depends on whether your son is the Pitcher or Catcher. 
If the ball is in the dirt a couple of feet in front of the CATCHer... or massively outside the zone.. then WP. Anything else = PB. Borderline decision = PB. CB in the dirt for a swinging strike = PB. From the OP, a ball that missed the called location but is still around the zone and whiffed by the CATCHer?? Wait for it >>> PB.
CB in the dirt for a swinging strike = PB.
Still a WP.
My point was less about the scorebook and more about good catchers. If a two-strike CB is called, C must be ready to adjust and catch it before hitting the dirt or else block the pitch and secure the out.
Oh sorry... Didn't notice this is the scorekeeper forum... Make that F2, not C.
Originally Posted by Soylent Green:
My point was less about the scorebook and more about good catchers. If a two-strike CB is called, C must be ready to adjust and catch it before hitting the dirt or else block the pitch and secure the out….
The “official” scorebook should follow the rules of the game. What you’re talking about is specific information the coach wants to know for his own purposes. Its just like charting pitches. There's nothing in the rules about charting pitches, so it can be done any way the coaching staff wants to do it. Sometimes those things follow the rules of the game, and sometimes they don’t. Your example is one that doesn’t follow the rules of the game, but might be of use to the coaching staff. Happens all the time.
Thanks all. I didn't do a great job of describing the pitch. I made it sound like it was just located wrong, it was really more like a foot inside (to where the batter moves) and reaching the ground right at the catcher. Still, I received a ton of information from your replies. So I'll summarize some of my takeaways from the discussion.
1) Ordinary effort differs by level of play
2) Catchers at HS level should be able to catch a ball to their left or right 2' or so; if not PB
3) By rule, anything in the dirt before the catcher is a WP
4) Every score keeper is different, but I like Stats4Gnats definition:
"If a pitch doesn’t touch the ground and the catcher has to move the glove more than his glove arm will reach without somehow extending it by some form of body movement like twisting or raising up from the crouch, chances are I’m gonna score a passed ball."
Ultimately it's a jugement call, which I'm OK with.
Oh, and my son is a Catcher, but his objective to block everything - regardless of where the pitch is.
