Talk:Infield Fly Rule

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Whoever it is that keeps insisting players have to tag up on an infield fly that is touched, even if it's dropped, please cite the specific rule number and the exact quote, as I am not seeing it, and it doesn't make sense anyway. The rules state that an infield fly is like any other fly ball, except that the batter is automatically out. On any fly ball, runners who have tagged up can advance as soon as the ball is touched (not necessarily cleanly caught), and runners who have not tagged up can advance if the ball is dropped. Obviously, if it is cleanly caught, then the runners must tag up. Wahkeenah 00:10, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Answer to question by latest editor

Here is the quote from the MLB.COM rules site (Rule 2.00, definitions-- definition of Infield Fly:

The ball is alive and runners may advance at the risk of the ball being caught, or retouch and advance after the ball is touched, the same as on any fly ball. If the hit becomes a foul ball, it is treated the same as any foul

Note that this official rule does not say the player must retouch if the ball is CAUGHT. It says they must retouch (tag up) if the ball is TOUCHED. A friend of mine at work had this happen to his little league team-- the umpire called a double play when the runner on 2nd did not tag up on a dropped infield fly. The ball was thrown back to 2nd and it was a double play. I looked up the rule and I think I am right. Maybe someone can talk to a higher level ump (high school or above) or does anyone have the "Commentaries on the Rules of Baseball."? User:66.159.232.61 00:34, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

Note that the rule says runners may advance at the risk of the ball being caught, or [they may] retouch and advance after the ball is touched, the same as on any fly ball. It could be worded a little better, perhaps.

On any fly ball, whether an infield fly or otherwise, it's the same deal: the runners run at their own peril. If they are off base and the ball is caught, they can be doubled up.

The difference is when the ball is not caught; with an ordinary fly, the runners can be forced by the batter, while if it's an infield fly the batter is automatically out, so there is no force and the runners can either stay put or advance, at their peril. That taking away of the force play is the purpose of the infield fly rule.

If the runners happen to have retagged, they can advance as soon as the ball is touched, not necessarily caught. The purpose of that rule is to prevent shenanigans by the fielder, such as purposely "juggling" the ball while running it into the infield. With an ordinary fly, they would be forced by the batter. With an infield fly, they are not forced, so they can stay or go as they see fit.

If the umpire you describe called someone out for not retouching on a dropped fly ball, he was dead wrong and the victimized team should have filed a protest.

There is a tendency to think that while umpires may have bad vision, they still know the rules. Sometimes they don't, and that's where the protest option comes in. Wahkeenah 02:02, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

I finally got time to submit the question to baseballumpires.com. They say that the runner "does not have to re-touch." So this article is correct as it stands.