foul ball outs

Question
when is a batter out on a foul ball? is he out if the ball just tips the bat and goes straight to the catcher? not going over the batters head...

Answer
Hi Ben,

The rule has changed and here it is

Starting this season, 2006, the reference of the 揾eight of the batter抯 head?has been removed from the rulebook from the Foul Ball and Foul Tip definitions. This allows more opportunity for the catcher to obtain 搊uts?by catching foul batted balls the same as the first and third base person who is playing in. Umpires now only need to judge whether the ball moves from the bat 搒harply?and 揹irectly?versus a ball that has a perceptible arc and/or the catcher moves the glove to catch the ball after contact with the bat.

FOUL TIP - is a batted ball that goes sharply and directly from the bat to the catcher's glove/mitt or hand and is legally caught by the catcher. It is not a foul tip unless caught and any foul tip that is caught is a strike, and the ball remains live in Fast Pitch and Slow Pitch with stealing. It is not a catch if it rebounds off the catcher, unless the ball has first touched the catcher's glove or hand. A foul tip can only be caught by the catcher.

A caught foul tip with 2 strikes is an out, otherwise it is just a strike (and can be an out in sp w/2 strikes).  A ball with a perceptible arc is a foul ball and if caught is an out.

Mark