From the official rule out of the N.F.H.S. rule book.

A fair ball is a batted ball that:

a. Settles or is touched on or over fair territory between home and first base or home and third base.

b. Touches or bounds over a base.

c. Touches first, second or third bases.

d. While on or over fair territory touches the person of any umpire or player or their clothing or equipment.

e. While over fair territory passes out of the playing field in flight.

f. First falls or is first touched on or over fair territory beyond first, second, or third base. (more…)

There’s been some discussion recently among some folks about the ruling when a batter has two strikes on him or her, swings at a pitch and the ball hits the batter’s hands. The question being is the batter out?

Yes!

I asked umpire Dale Anzo to give the full explanation. Parts of the conversation were pretty humorous, and unfortunately not printable. So here goes:

1. Hands are not part of the bat.

2. Anytime you swing the bat it is a strike, including if it hits your hands or other part of your body.

3. If you swing and the ball hits your hands with two strikes, it is strike three. The ball is dead, and the batter is out. Any base runners  return. (more…)

There was a call in the Etna v Weed softball game on Tuesday that left more than a few people confused. The play involved the ball being hit and going past the first baseman and then being inadvertently kicked by a base runner while she was running from first base.

The ruling as explained to a coach and then told to me was that because the ball was past the first baseman, it didn’t matter that it contacted the runner. Therefore, both the batter and base runner were safe on the play.

It seemed kind of weird so I asked Dale Anzo what the rule is on that type of play. Here’s the rule:

Rule 8 section 6 article 11

The runner is out when the runner is struck with a fair untouched batted ball while not in contact with a base and before it passes an infielder, excluding the pitcher, or if it passes an infielder and any fielder has an opportunity to make an out.

In the play that occurred in the game, I believe these conditions in the rule were not in dispute: (more…)

By Dale Anzo

If you are like me, you like watching your favorite M.L.B. team or at least listening to them on the radio.  One of me pet peeves while watching or listening is hearing the announcers mess up the foul tip rule.  They will say that a ball that hits the back stop is a foul tip.  It is not.  Here are the official definitions of a foul ball and a foul tip.

Foul Ball

A foul ball is a batted ball that settles on foul territory between home and first base, or between home and third base, or that bounds past first or third base on or over foul territory or that first falls on foul territory beyond first or third base, or that, while over foul territory, touches  the person of an umpire or player, or any object foreign to the natural ground. (more…)

A while back a reader who just had to make Siskiyou Umpires Association strong man Dale Anzo’s life difficult, sent a question to SiskiyouYouth asking about the differences in high school and NCAA rules for baseball and softball. After much head scratching and consultations with NCAA umpire Scott Letendre, Anzo provided the list below.

Differences between H.S. and NCAA baseball

1. Balk rule. In H.S. it is a automatic dead ball; in NCAA it is a delayed dead ball.

2. Obstruction: In H.S. there is only one type of obstruction and it is a delayed dead ball. In NCAA they went with the pro rule this year and there are two types. Type A is obstruction made on a runner having a play made on them, the ball is dead. Type B is when there is obstruction on a runner that there is no play being made on. It is a delayed dead ball.

3. Bats: The legal bats are different.

4. Conferences: In H.S. you can have 1 offense conference per inning and 3 defense per game. Not sure what it is in NCAA but it is not that.

5. Intentional walks: In H.S. a coach can just tell the umpire to put them on base without pitching to them. In NCAA you have to pitch 4 wide ones.

6. No running for pitcher or catcher in NCAA

7. Designated Hitter is different and there is way too much to list here according to Latinder.

8. No 10 run rule in Division-I NCAA (more…)

During the Yreka v Foothill varsity baseball game on Tuesday in Yreka, there was a bit of controversy concerning a balk call. Or, more accurately, a non balk call.

A Foothill batter called time and stepped out of the box. The umpire did not immediately grant timeout, but the Yreka pitcher stopped his motion and did not pitch the ball.

Is it a balk or not? (more…)

The NFHS rule books state an infield fly is a fair fly (not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, (rule does not preclude outfielders from being allowed to attempt to make the catch) and provided the hit is made before two outs, and at a time when 1st and 2nd or all bases are occupied.

When it seems apparent that a batted ball will be an infield fly, the umpire immediately announces it for the benefit of the runners. If the ball is near a baseline, the umpire shall declare, “Infield fly, if fair.” The runners may advance at their own risk if the ball is misplayed. They must tag properly if the ball is caught.
Here is the kicker that many people don’t know. Remember the rule states that the fly can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort. So when teams do the big shift like most MLB teams do for David Ortiz it is still an infield fly. (more…)

With the start of baseball and softball season less than a month away, it’s time to have Dale Anzo resume with the “Ask Anzo” feature.

By Dale Anzo

I’ll bet everyone that knows baseball and softball rules thinks they know what a catch is. Well, I beg to differ. Here is the rule as written in the rule book:

A catch is the act of a fielder in getting secure possession in his hand or glove of a live ball in flight and firmly holding it, provided he does not use his cap, protector, mask, pocket, or other part of his uniform to trap the ball. The catch of a fly ball by a fielder is not completed until the continuing action of the catch is completed. A fielder who catches a ball and then runs into a wall or another player and drops the ball has not made a catch. A fielder, at full speed who catches the ball and whose initial momentum carries him several more yards after which the ball drops from his glove has not made a catch. When the fielder by his action of stopping, removing the ball from his glove, etc. signifies the initial action is completed and then drops the ball, will be judged to have made a catch.

The same definition of a catch would apply when making a double play. It is considered a catch if a fielder catches a fair or foul ball and then steps or falls into a bench, dugout, stand, bleacher, or over any boundary or barrier, such as a fence, rope, chalk line, or a pregame determined imaginary boundary line from the field of play. Falling into does include merely running against such object. It is not a catch when a fielder touches a batted ball in flight which then contacts a member of the offensive team or an umpire and is then caught by a defensive player. (more…)

Time out

The granting of “time out” is at the umpire’s discretion in both baseball and softball. Coaches and players can request time out, but time out can only be given by an umpire. An umpire decides when and to whom to grant time out, based on whether or not the umpire feels that time out is needed. A time out request only takes affect if the umpire grants it. If a coach or player requests time out and it is not granted, play continues uninterrupted.

Dual first base bags
According to high school softball rules:

1. The defense must use the white portion and the batter-runner the colored portion when a play is being made on the batter-runner.
Penalties

A. The batter-runner is out when there is a play being made at 1st base and the batter-runner touches the white only portion provided the defense appeals prior to the batter-runner returning to touch the white or colored base.

B. The batter-runner is out for interference when there is a force play and the batter-runner touches only the white portion and collides with the fielder about to catch a thrown ball while on the white. (more…)

By Dale Anzo

There is time in baseball and softball that an umpire might have to recognize a fourth out. The only time you would recognize a fourth out is prevent a run. What you have to remember about the fourth out is that it is a timing play.

Here is a play that actually happened to me:

The bases were loaded with one out. The batter hits a pop fly to left field. The left fielder catches the ball, and all runners tag up. The runner on first base does not tag properly. (more…)

There are two rules that govern rounding first base. The first one applies in both softball and baseball. The second applies only in softball.

Softball & Baseball

A runner can over run 1st base in any direction. They can run and turn to the right, or into foul territory, or they can turn left and into fair territory. Once the runner turns, in order to be safe, they must return to 1st base almost immediately. It is the umpire’s judgment if the runner made an attempt to 2nd base. If in the umpire’s judgment the runner did make an attempt to go to 2nd, then they can be tagged out. If in the umpires judgment there was no attempt and they return to 1st base and are tagged in fair territory they are safe. (more…)

Ever wonder what the rule really is on that play that you claim cost your team the game? Well, now you can find out by asking umpire Dale Anzo. Anzo will be answering questions about baseball and softball rules on a regular basis on SiskiyouYouth.com.

Before I give you his initial rule explanation, I’ll let you know how this feature came to be.

For about four years, at three different media outlets, I’ve been trying to get officials to explain the rules of the game. There are a lot of people yelling at the officials who don’t know some of the rules. And, I’m sort of tired of officials complaining that fans, players, and coaches don’t know the rules.

So far this school year, I approached officials from football, volleyball, soccer, and basketball. They all said it was a great idea and assured me that they would do it. None did. So, I figure if they won’t take the initiative to do some explaining, go ahead and yell at them. Let them whine. (more…)