Question about live ball?

A foul tip, that is a ball lightly struck that deflects directly into the catcher's mitt and which is caught, is a live ball and a runner can advance at his own risk.

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Originally posted by 06catcherdad:
A foul tip, that is a ball lightly struck that deflects directly into the catcher's mitt and which is caught, is a live ball and a runner can advance at his own risk.

A foul tip is a strike, nothing more, nothing less.

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Originally posted by GoEagles18:
Okay, so yestersay my team was playing and there was a runner on first and the runner at first stole second, but the batter swung and foul tipped it right in the catchers glove for a strike and the umpire said that the runner did not have to go back to the base because the ball was live?? Is this true because nobody at our game thought it was. This is at the high school level also.

I will admit I am a bit suprized that this isnt common knowledge at your HS level.... foul tip = live ball is baseball 101.....

The rules treat a foul tip as equivalent in every respect to a pitch at which the batter swings and misses.

It differs from a foul ball in the following ways:

It is always a strike, regardless of the existing ball-and-strike count on the batter. If the batter already has two strikes, the foul tip is the third strike and the batter is out (unlike a foul ball, which ordinarily cannot count as the third strike). Since, by definition, the catcher has held the third strike, the batter is unconditionally out and cannot attempt to reach first base, regardless of circumstances.

Unless the foul tip is the third strike, the batter is not out as he would be if his ordinary foul ball were caught (by the catcher or any other fielder). The foul tip merely adds a strike to the batter's count.

The ball remains alive and runners may advance or be thrown out on the bases, just as on any other strike that is not a foul ball.

piaa_ump wrote:

quote:

I will admit I am a bit suprized that this isnt common knowledge at your HS level.... foul tip = live ball is baseball 101.....

Sadly this fact in not known among some HS umpires. Was BU a couple of weeks ago, runner on first was moving on the pitch. Foul tip, the PU was going to send the runner back because it was a foul ball. OC asked for time and asked the PU to get help from BU. We got together and the runner stayed on second.

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Originally posted by nopachunts:
piaa_ump wrote:

quote:

I will admit I am a bit suprized that this isnt common knowledge at your HS level.... foul tip = live ball is baseball 101.....

Sadly this fact in not known among some HS umpires. Was BU a couple of weeks ago, runner on first was moving on the pitch. Foul tip, the PU was going to send the runner back because it was a foul ball. OC asked for time and asked the PU to get help from BU. We got together and the runner stayed on second.

Thank god you were there to help get it right........did you have any indication in your pregame with this partner that he had such little grasp on the game as he showed with this call ???

Another thing to remember (I don't think it was mentioned above - if so I apologize for repeating) is that the ball has to be caught cleanly. Any bobble by the catcher and it becomes a foul ball.

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Originally posted by coach2709:
Another thing to remember (I don't think it was mentioned above - if so I apologize for repeating) is that the ball has to be caught cleanly. Any bobble by the catcher and it becomes a foul ball.

Not so. In fact, in FED (and only FED), a foul tip doesn't even have to be caught by the catcher. As long as the ball goes directly from the bat to the catcher's hands or mitt, and is eventually caught (by anyone), it is a strike and a live ball.

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Originally posted by coach2709:
Any bobble by the catcher and it becomes a foul ball.

As Dash has pointed out, this is not true in HS ball.

In FED the as long as the ball goes directly to the catcher's hand or mitt, he can bobble it or juggle it, as long as he, or another defensive player, catches it.

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Originally posted by Jimmy03:
In FED as long as the ball goes directly to the catcher's hand or mitt, he can bobble it or juggle it, as long as he, or another defensive player, catches it.

True, and furthermore in OBR and NCAA, F2 can also bobble or juggle the ball, if it first went directly to the hand or mitt, and F2 finally catches the ball.

Carl Childress gives two example plays in the BRD. In one, the nicked ball goes directly to the catchers mitt and bounds high into the air, and is then caught by F2. This is a foul tip in all codes.

The second example has the ball going to the mitt, then the shin guards, and then to the pitcher, without touching the ground. According to Childress, this is a foul tip in FED, and a foul ball in other codes.

From the definitions in OBR:
"A FOUL TIP is a batted ball that goes sharp and direct from the bat to the catcher’s hands and is legally caught. It is not a foul tip unless caught and any foul tip that is caught is a strike, and the ball is in play. It is not a catch if it is a rebound, unless the ball has first touched the catcher’s glove or hand. "
MLBUM 8.2 "Regarding the definition of a foul tip, the proper interpretation is that a foul tip must be caught by the catcher."

NCAA 7-8 "A foul tip is a ball batted by the batter while standing within the lines of the batter’s box that travels directly from the bat to the catcher’s hands and is caught legally by the catcher. If trapped or not caught, it simply is a foul ball. Any foul tip that is caught is a strike, and the ball is in play. It is not a catch if it is a rebound, unless the ball first has touched the catcher’s glove or hand.

My italics.

Thanks for all the help guys. I was just my coach and the whole team was shocked by this call, but i understand now. Once again thanks.

i'm alway's reminded of this by the radio announcer from my youth.

" foul tipped into the mitt, strike three "

funny how you remember things.