Rules Quiz

[ASAPAump]

Ok guys and gals, the board has hit a lull, so I figured I would try to liven things up a bit. Here's a quiz just for fun. Might make for some good discussion. Feel free to post your answers, take it for yourself, or ignore it completely.

Terminology:
F1 = pitcher, F2 = catcher, F3 = 1st baseman, F4 = 2nd baseman, F5 = 3rd baseman, F6 = shortstop, F7 = left fielder, F8 = center fielder, F9 = right fielder.
1B, 2B, 3B, HP = 1st base, 2nd base, 3rd base, home plate, respectively.


1. With R1 on 2B and R2 on 1B and no outs, B3 hits a high pop foul between HP and 1B which could be caught with ordinary effort by F3, but F3 loses sight of the ball because of the sun. The ball lands on foul ground without being touched and rolls into fair territory halfway between HP and 1B. F1 picks up the ball and throws to F4 covering 1B, who touches R2 with the ball while R2 is off base. What is the ruling?

Foul ball.
Dead ball and fair ball. B3 and R1 are both out.
Live ball and fair ball. R1 is the only out on the play.
Live ball and fair ball. B3 and R1 are both out.
Dead ball and foul ball. B3 is the only out.


2. A batter swings and hits the ball. After laying down the bat and running to first, the ball hits the bat in fair territory. What is the call on this play?

Dead ball. The batter is out for hitting the ball a second time.
The ball is live. The batter is not out.
The ball remains live, but the batter is out for hitting the ball a second time.
The ball is ruled foul because a bat lying on the ground in the field is ruled as part of dead ball territory.


3. With R1 on 1B, B2 hits a ground ball to F3 who steps on 1B first and then tags R1 who has remained on 1B. Who is out?

Only B2 is out.
Only R1 is out.
Both R1 and B2 are out.
No one is out on the play.


4. With R1 on 1B, B2 hits a deep fly ball to center field. R1, who believes that the ball is over F8's head, runs to 2B. F8 makes the catch and notices that the runner is between 2B and 3B. F8 throws to 1B in an attempt to put out R1 for leaving too soon. R1, who is between 2B and 3B at the time of the throw, hustles back only to see the ball thrown into dead ball territory. What is the ruling on this play?

Dead ball. The batter is out and the runner is awarded third base.
Dead ball. The batter is out and the runner is awarded second since they were traveling in a reverse direction.
Dead ball. The batter and runner are both out because a runner cannot return to a base once they have passed the next one.
Dead ball. The batter is out and the runner is awarded home.


5. Without touching any person, a batted ball hits the pitcher's plate and bounces into foul ground. The ball is ruled foul.

True
False


6. With R1 on 3B, R2 on 2B and R3 on 1B and one out, B5 hits a line drive to the right field fence. R1 and R2 score, but R3 was thrown out at HP. B5 goes to 3B , but failed to touch 1B. The play was properly appealed. The result of the play is that two runs score and the third out is the appeal of B5 who missed 1B.

True
False


7. With R1 on 1B, one out, and two strikes to B3, B3 swings at and misses a pitch that hits his/her hand. R1 is attempting to steal 2B and is tagged out prior to reaching the base. What is the call?

Foul ball. The hands are part of the bat. R1 must return to 1B.
Dead ball. B3 is awarded 1B for being hit by a pitch.
Dead ball. B3 is the only out. R1 must return to 1B.
Live ball. B3 is out with strike three and R1 is out on the tag.


8. With R1 on 2B and R2 on 1B, B3 hits a ball to F6 who fields the ball, steps on 2B for the force and then throws wildly to F3 covering 1B. F3 tosses her glove into the air hitting the ball. The ball bounces into the dugout. What is the ruling on this play?

R2 is out. Both R1 and B3 are awarded one base from their positions at the time of the throw from the infield.
R2 is out. B3 is awarded 1B and R1 is awarded 3B because F3 fielded a ball using detached equipment in the infield.
R2 is out. There is no penalty for using detached equipment to field a ball in the infield.
R2 is out. Both B3 and R1 are awarded two bases from their positions when F3 hit the ball with the detached glove.
R2 is out. Both B3 and R1 are awarded two bases from their positions at the time of the throw because F3 hit the ball with detached equipment.
No one is out because F3 fielded the ball with detached equipment. All runners are awarded two bases from the time of the throw.


9. A batter hits a foul ball while a part of her foot is touching home plate. There is no penalty since the ball was hit foul.

True
False


10. With R1 on 3B and no outs, B2 hits a fly ball to left field. While the ball is in flight, the third base coach pushes R1 back toward 3B. F7 makes the catch. R1 scores on the sacrifice fly. Is this legal?

Yes. B2 is out. Since no one had possession of the ball, the coach was allowed to assist R1. The run scores.
No. The ball is dead once it is caught. B3 is out and R1 is out for being aided.
No. The ball is dead as soon as the coach touches R1. R1 is out for being aided and B2 is awarded 1B.
No. The ball is still live, but B3 is out and R1 is out for being aided.
No. B2 is out. Since R1 was assisted back to 3B, she must return back to the base as a penalty.
No. Since the assistance by the coach occurred before any out was recorded, R1 must return back to 3B and B2 remains at bat.

[Clean_up]

1 - Foul Ball
2 - Live Ball
3 - Both are out
4 - Dead Ball - Batter is out, runner awarded Second Base
5 - True
6 - False
7 - Dead Ball, batter is only out, runner returns to 1B
8 - Runner is out at 2B, two-base award (lol)
9 - false
10 - Ball is dead when caught, both are out

Okay, no laughing at me.. did I fail? (It's prob obvious I am not an umpire)

[PDad]

1. Live ball and fair ball. R1 is the only out on the play.
Assume B2 is safe since there is no info to call her out.

2. The ball is live. The batter is not out.

3. Only B2 is out.
Force is removed from R1 when B2 is retired.

4. Dead ball. The batter is out and the runner is awarded home.
2 bases from position of runner at time of throw. Runner still has to go back and touch first base before advancing to 3B and home.

5. Insufficient info
Depends on whether ball entered foul territory before reaching 1B/3B or not.

6. False

7. Dead ball. B3 is the only out. R1 must return to 1B.

8. R2 is out. Both B3 and R1 are awarded two bases from their positions at the time of the throw because F3 hit the ball with detached equipment.

9. False

10. No. The ball is still live, but B2 is out and R1 is out for being aided.

[MTR]

1. Live ball and fair ball. R1 is the only out on the play.
Assume B2 is safe since there is no info to call her out.

Infield fly?

[PDad]

1. Live ball and fair ball. R1 is the only out on the play.
Assume B2 is safe since there is no info to call her out.

Infield fly?

IFR isn't applicable in foul territory.

[MTR]

1. Live ball and fair ball. R1 is the only out on the play.
Assume B2 is safe since there is no info to call her out.

Infield fly?

IFR isn't applicable in foul territory.

Thnk about it. What are the requirements for an IF?

Fair ball (which it was, you even said so)
A force out at 3rd is available (1B & 2B occupied)
A fly ball which can be caught with ordinary effort by an infielder.

Were not all these conditions met? Remember, IF is determined at the apex of the ball's flight, so a last second bail by the infielder for whatever reason is irrelevant to the enforcement of the rule.

[PDad]

1. Live ball and fair ball. R1 is the only out on the play.
Assume B2 is safe since there is no info to call her out.

Infield fly?

IFR isn't applicable in foul territory.

Thnk about it. What are the requirements for an IF?

Fair ball (which it was, you even said so)
A force out at 3rd is available (1B & 2B occupied)
A fly ball which can be caught with ordinary effort by an infielder.

Were not all these conditions met? Remember, IF is determined at the apex of the ball's flight, so a last second bail by the infielder for whatever reason is irrelevant to the enforcement of the rule.

I based my answer on OP saying "B3 hits a high pop foul" that ended up being a fair ball after it bounced/rolled into fair territory.

I find your comment about determining it at the apex interesting because baseball umpires are supposed to call "Infield fly if fair" in borderline situations. Is this handled differently in softball?

[Comp]

The ball did end up fair. Base runners had to hold because of the pop fly, and since the ball ended up rolling fair, the base runners are now at risk of being doubled up. Infield fly.

[MTR]

1. Live ball and fair ball. R1 is the only out on the play.
Assume B2 is safe since there is no info to call her out.

Infield fly?

IFR isn't applicable in foul territory.

Thnk about it. What are the requirements for an IF?

Fair ball (which it was, you even said so)
A force out at 3rd is available (1B & 2B occupied)
A fly ball which can be caught with ordinary effort by an infielder.

Were not all these conditions met? Remember, IF is determined at the apex of the ball's flight, so a last second bail by the infielder for whatever reason is irrelevant to the enforcement of the rule.

I based my answer on OP saying "B3 hits a high pop foul" that ended up being a fair ball after it bounced/rolled into fair territory.

I find your comment about determining it at the apex interesting because baseball umpires are supposed to call "Infield fly if fair" in borderline situations. Is this handled differently in softball?

And when is the baseball guy going to make that call, after the ball has landed or at the top of the arc? It is no different in ANY stick, ball and bases game.

And again, were all the requirements for an IF met? You even reiterated that the ball was fair.

[ASAPAump]

Clean_up - 4/10, (vague answers were counted as incorrect). Not too shabby

Pdad, well done! Just missed the infield fly question.