No swing foul ball USSSA slow pitch
2016/7/15 17:32:22
Question
QUESTION: "If a batter does not swing at a pitch but the ball manages to touch the bat is it a foul ball or a ball?
Example: Batter is up to bat and is in the batters box. The pitcher delivers the pitch which is going behind the batter. The batter does not move because the pitch is behind him but the ball manages to hit the bat, ump calls foul ball.
A "foul ball" is defined as a batted ball. While a "ball" is any pitched ball that does not cross into the strike zone and the batter does not swing at.
ANSWER: Jon,
It's a foul.
Jesse
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I found the USSSA rules online and have cut and pasted them here.
"BALL refers to a Pitch that does not enter the Strike Zone in flight, nor conforms to the fairly delivered Pitch stipulations, and is not struck at by the Batter"
"FOUL BALL is any Batted Ball that stops or settles in Foul Territory without first being touched in Fair Territory, or which is first touched in Foul Territory,"
"BATTED BALL refers to any pitched ball that is hit by the bat or that hits the bat, thus becoming either a Fair or Foul Ball. No intent to hit the ball is necessary."
What happened is covered by 2 opposite rules, it conforms to the legal definition of a ball and also to that of a foul ball so how can you call it a foul ball?
Answer
Jon,
You said it yourself;
"BATTED BALL refers to any pitched ball that is hit by the bat or that hits the bat, thus becoming either a Fair or Foul Ball. No intent to hit the ball is necessary."
It does not conform to a legal defintion of a ball because it hit the bat. Therefore it is immediatly a batted ball and can no longer be a ball.
Jesse
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