10u girls fastpitch softball

Question
I started my first headcoach job for my little girl team saturday...the ump. were call foulballs fair.. let me explain.. if a ball was rolling 4 feet in foul ground and rolled fair be4 it got to 3rd or 1st they would call it fair..the 1 that blew my mind is a pop up behind the catcher it landed 10 feet from fair ground but it had a spin on it and no1 touched it and they called it a fair ball...what is the ruling here I`m I missing the boat here

Answer
Hi Thomas,

Thank you for taking the time to help these young players.  I mean this in the nicest way (I really do)but you asked, you're missing the boat here and the umpire is correct.

On fair/foul before the 1st and 3rd bags it only matters where the ball comes to rest or is 1st touched.  It doesn't matter where it starts out.

Just to help you ....the definition of a fair ball (that pertains to your question) is a legally batted ball that settles or is touched over fair territory between home and 1st or 3rd base.

The foul definition is the same just substitute foul where I have fair.

One more thing since you're just starting...a ball the bounds over 1st or 3rd base regardless of where it hits after going over the base is a fair ball.  Many times we see these balls hit in foul territory after bounding over part of a base.  Again it would be a fair ball.

Ok 1 last thing...a batted ball that hits the pitching plate and rolls untouched into foul territory before reaching 1st or 3rd is a foul ball.

mark

Mark