softball foul tip

Question
1)In slow pitch does foul ball have to go over batter's head for him to be called out if caught by catcher? 2)Is it same rule for fastpitch? 3)What rule is this found under? Thank

Answer
Hi jan,

I think the best thing to do here is to give you our Rules Suppl. 22, let you read it over and write back if you have any questions, it is the same for all games of softball

22. FOUL BALL / FOUL TIP
The reference of the 揾eight of the batter抯 head?as it relates to a Foul Ball
and Foul Tip no longer applies. This change, instituted in 2006, 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 closer to home plate.
Umpires only need to judge whether the ball moves from the bat 搒harply?br> and 揹irectly?versus a ball that has a perceptible arc and / or if the catcher
moves their glove / mitt to catch the ball after contact with the bat.
The definition of a foul ball has not changed. However, a foul tip is now
defined as a batted ball that goes sharply and directly from the bat to the
catcher抯 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 the ball rebounds off the catcher, unless the ball has first touched the
catcher抯 glove / mitt or hand. Again, a foul tip can only be caught by the
catcher. Examples of foul ball and foul tip follow:

A. A foul ball with 損erceptible?arc goes toward the catcher抯 left and
the catcher moves their glove / mitt to catch the ball. In this situation,
the batter is out and the ball remains live just as it would whenany other fielder catches a foul fly ball.

B. The foul ball rebounds from the bat with a 損erceptible arc?shoulder
high and the catcher moves upward with the glove / mitt to make
the catch. In this situation, the batter is out and the ball remains
live just as it would when any other fielder catches a foul fly ball.

C. The pitcher throws a rise ball and the catcher is moving up as the
pitch is on the way to home plate. The batter squares to bunt the
ball above their head and the ball goes in a straight line from the bat
to the glove / mitt and the catcher catches the ball. In this situation,
it is a 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 foul 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.