Softball Infield fly rule

Question
QUESTION: During a softball 14u tournament championship game, the  team batting has bases loaded and one out. The batter pops the ball up on the infield, field umpire raises his right hand but calls nothing. The team in the field believes this to be called an infield fly by the signal. The ball is dropped behind second base. What should the call be?

ANSWER: Hi Donald,

the umpire manual (ASA) states the umpire should raise the right hand, fist closed and verbalize IF. It is the PU who calls the IF, the BU should not be calling it.

Now you don't tell me what happened ,what was the result of the play?

If the PU stated no IF was called, now we have a problem as the BU gave an IF signal.  We can correct the error based on what happened

mark

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Mark
what happened on the play is the runners on second and third scored, runner on first took second with no force play and batter awarded first.The PU ruled he called no infield fly. We tried to protest the call based on the BU raising his hand indicating infield fly confusing the coaches and the fielders.  Umpire and chief at the tournament said infield fly can only be verbal! As a result of the play we lost the championship by those two runs

Answer
Hi Donald,

I don't think your going to like my answer.  Obviously both the PU who did not call an IF and that's their call and UIC did not think the defense was put in jeopardy by whatever the BU did.

The ball was not caught and even if the defense thought is was an IF, on an IF the ball remains alive and runners can advance at their own risk, they do not have to tag on an uncaught IF.  It seems those 2 runs would have scored regardless of what signal (I wasn't there but is it possible the BU was shading his eyes from the sun or something else) was thought to be given.

Based on your info I don't see how the defense was harmed here regardless of what the BU did especially regarding the 2 runs that scored.

Had a catch been made it might have been the offensive coach writing me as it seems a good chance the inning would be over w/ a LBA of a base left too early on either on R1 or R2 who had to been running.



Mark