Should ump declare a dropped ball?

billvp

Addicted to Softballfans
This happened in a game recently, with a runner on first. The batter hit a fly ball to the outfielder, who at first glance seemed to catch it. The first-base umpire called the out but then realized the outfielder dropped the ball and said nothing. The runner retreated to the base, the fielder picked up the ball and threw to second for the force. The runner didn't look at the outfielder after they heard the umpire call out.

I don't know if the umpire is supposed to verbally proclaim a dropped ball if they verbally proclaimed the out, but the runner thought so.
 

irishmafia

Addicted to Softballfans
This happened in a game recently, with a runner on first. The batter hit a fly ball to the outfielder, who at first glance seemed to catch it. The first-base umpire called the out but then realized the outfielder dropped the ball and said nothing. The runner retreated to the base, the fielder picked up the ball and threw to second for the force. The runner didn't look at the outfielder after they heard the umpire call out.

I don't know if the umpire is supposed to verbally proclaim a dropped ball if they verbally proclaimed the out, but the runner thought so.

An umpire is not to call an out until they consider it an out. So if the ruling was out, that is all it is..

That said, should the umpire realize an error and reverse the call, any runner put in jeopardy due to the delay or reversal of a call should not be ruled out, but returned to the base which would have been occupied had the delay or erroneous call not been made. If the final call forced the runner to advance, that runner would have been moved up to accommodate the trailing runners' right to those bases.

In your scenario, either the BR is ruled out and R1 remain on 1st, or the BR is ruled safe and R1 moved up to 2nd
 

billvp

Addicted to Softballfans
An umpire is not to call an out until they consider it an out. So if the ruling was out, that is all it is..

That said, should the umpire realize an error and reverse the call, any runner put in jeopardy due to the delay or reversal of a call should not be ruled out, but returned to the base which would have been occupied had the delay or erroneous call not been made. If the final call forced the runner to advance, that runner would have been moved up to accommodate the trailing runners' right to those bases.

In your scenario, either the BR is ruled out and R1 remain on 1st, or the BR is ruled safe and R1 moved up to 2nd

If I'm understanding your final sentence correctly, the first scenario is if the umpire does not reverse the call, while the second scenario is if the umpire does reverse the call. Is that correct?
 

RNRPLZ

Member
Let a ball fall before you mske your call. But there are circumstances that a call is reversed on a dropped ball after initially calling out. It happens to us all on a fast play, usually in the infield, and the occasion outfielder chasing on the run makes catch but boots it out. You never want yell fair ball. Give safe signal and/or point to fair territory
 

NCASAUmp

Un-Retired
Perfectly reasonable for an umpire to correct their mistake. The defense didn't catch the ball, so why should the umpire penalize the offense for his mistake? At that point, we sort it out as best we can.
 
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