USSSA Fair or Foul? 1B fielder touched pop fly in foul territory, ball dropped to fair.

[Arrgh]

Batter/Runner hits a pop fly to foul territory. The 1B fielder tried to catch, touch the ball in foul territory (his entire body, and where he touched the ball, was foul), but didn't catch the ball and the ball dropped into and stayed in fair.

 

[eddieq]

If the ball was first touched over foul territory (and not legally caught for the out), then you have a foul ball. Every level, every association, every ruleset.

 

[Arrgh]

I thought it'd be a foul ball, but was surprised the ump called it fair.

If OTOH a fielder touched but did not catch the ball in fair territory, then the ball goes into foul territory, it's still fair to start with and is still live. So I didn't understand the ump's logic in calling the other one fair.

 

[eddieq]

Wasn't there so I cannot speak to what the ump was thinking or saw. Sometimes we will have a bad angle (doesn't get on the line for fly balls close to the line), sometimes we are screened, and sometimes we flat out have a brain fart. Best advice is to live with it and move on.