Foul Tip

This is going to be a short post today. Last night I was umpiring Boys 14 Select. It was the Gold division. In the second inning and a runner on first, this play happened. Pitcher pitches, runner stole second. The batter swung and tipped the ball into the catchers glove. No throw. Kid safe, no problem....right. Wrong!! The third basemen started yelling it was a foul tip, the runner has to go back. Then the coach started yelling, then the fans.

I was in the field, so I let the plate umpire deal with it at first, who explained that a foul tip is a live ball. The coach looked at me and asked if I agreed with that. I said yes. He said, "Since when?" I said, "Well I have been alive 32 years and I can tell you that for at least 32 years that has been the rule. I then told him to go read the definition of foul TIP in the rule book in section 2.

In case you haven't read it, the definition is, "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."

It amazes me how many coaches don't know this rule, I mean seriously, this is the simplest of rules.

I advice to the new umpire is to learn this rule and be able to quote it when this comes up and I'm sure it will.