Quick reminder!
Kickball is loosely based on softball rules. Just because something is allowed in baseball/softball does not mean it hasn’t been modified for our own use in kickball. The incident in question was a player caught a foul fly ball for an out, and the runners tagged up and advanced bases. In baseball/softball this is legal, in our kickball league it is not. A foul is either caught for an out, or dropped for a foul ball call. There is nothing else that can happen, no runners may advance. Why? It’s an obscure an complicated baseball rule, and was decided some time ago to leave it out with many other baseball rules. We didn’t want to confuse non-baseball (most people) players with the strategy that they should not catch some fly balls. I regret that the play in question “helped” my team, but I was not changing a call by the ump, but pointing out a rule of the league. I sincerely hope it does not ruin anyone’s mood for kickball, I don’t think it did, but I wanted to clarify and apoligize just in case.
June 11th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Not sure about softball, but a foul ball is always a dead ball in baseball — no advancing allowed. Makes sense for kickball too, and as a member of the team for which the call hurt, it was the right call.
June 14th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
I don’t understand–catching a foul ball for an out means it is in play. If you can get an out on it, the other team should have a chance to get something on it. There have been times that runs were scored when someone tagged up for 3rd the last two years I umped. Perhaps I’m imagining all of this–I’d check with Todd because as far as I know, we’ve always allowed this. I remember talking to Todd about it even–maybe I’m imagining that too. I’d make sure.