batter tips ball

Question
These are varsity girls, fast pitch softball. A batter tips a ball, the ball is only chest high when it leaves the bat and the catcher , catches thr ball. Is the batter out? Does it count as a foul (fly) ball ?, or just a strike.  I thought a foul fly ball had to be uo in the air .

Answer
Art,

This is a question that causes a bunch of confusion.  What you are really asking is:  What is the difference between a foul tip and a foul ball.    I actually started typing a long dissertation on the difference between a foul ball and a foul tip.  Fortunately this has been previously done and done better than I would have.  Below is a copy and paste from this link:  http://en.allexperts.com/q/Softball-2562/14-U-ASA-softball-1.htm  This should cover it.  


FOUL BALL ?A foul ball is a batted ball that:

Settles or is touched on or over foul territory between home and first base or between home and third base.
Bounds or rolls past first or third base on or over foul territory.
While over foul territory, touches the person, attached or detached equipment or clothing of a player or an umpire, or any object foreign to the natural ground.
While over foul territory, a runner interferes with a defensive player attempting to field a batted ball.
First hits the ground or is first touched over foul territory beyond first or third base.
Touches the batter or the bat in the batter抯 hand(s) a second time while the batter is within the batter抯 box.
Goes sharply and directly from the bat to any part of the catcher抯 body or equipment and is caught by another fielder.
Hits the pitching plate and rolls untouched to foul territory before reaching first or third base.

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.

SITUATION 1. A ball goes sharply and directly from the bat backwards and first touches the catcher抯 glove/mitt and then rebounds off the chest protector and is caught by the catcher before touching the ground. RULING: Foul Tip and a strike on the batter. The ball remains live in Fast Pitch and Slow Pitch with stealing.

SITUATION 2. A ball goes sharply and directly from the bat back to the catcher抯 chest protector and rebounds down into the catcher抯 glove. RULING: Foul Ball. (Dead Ball)

SITUATION 3. A foul ball with 損erceptible?arc goes toward the catcher抯 left and the catcher moves the glove to catch the ball. RULING: Batter is out and the ball remains live just as it would if any other fielder had caught a foul fly ball.

SITUATION 4. A foul ball rebounds from the bat with 損erceptible?arc shoulder high and the catcher moves upward with the glove to make the catch. RULING: Batter is out and the ball remains live just as it would if any other fielder had caught a foul fly ball.

SITUATION 5. A foul ball goes sharply and directly from the bat to the catcher抯 shin guard and rebounds to the third base person who catches the ball. RULING: Foul Ball. (Dead Ball)

SITUATION 6. A foul ball deflects off the catcher抯 equipment and settles on foul ground. RULING: Foul Ball. (Dead Ball)

SITUATION 7. The pitcher throws a rise ball and the catcher is moving up as the pitch is on the way to the plate. The batter squares to bunt a ball above their head and the ball goes in a straight line from the bat to the glove and the catcher catches the ball. RULING: Foul Tip. It does not matter that the ball is above the batter抯 head. The only thing that matters when determining whether it is a 揻oul tip?is the fact that the ball goes directly from the bat to the catcher抯 glove/mitt or hand and then is caught by the catcher.

SITUATION 8. A left handed 搒lapper?runs forward in the box and fouls the ball back just over the catcher抯 head. The catcher dives backward and the ball first hits the catcher抯 helmet and rebounds into the air. The ball comes down and hits the catcher抯 helmet. In (a) the catcher and (b) the first base person, makes the catch before the ball hits the ground. RULING: In (a) and (b) the batter is out and the ball remains live. In this situation it would be no different allowing the catcher to catch a foul batted ball before it hit the ground and allowing any other fielder to 揵obble?a ball several times before gaining control for a catch.

SITUATION 9. With R1 on 1B and one out, the catcher sets up inside for the pitch, but the pitcher throws the ball outside. On the pitch, R1 is stealing 2B as B3 runs up in the box and slaps the ball towards foul territory. The catcher lunges toward the outside of the plate into foul territory to make a diving catch before the ball hits the ground. The catcher immediately gets up and throws to 1B appealing that R1 left too soon. RULING: Since the catcher had to move their glove to go get the ball, B3 is out on the catch. The ball remains live, B3 is the second out and R1 is the third out on the appeal play.