Expert: Dr. Mark R. Ambrose - 10/2/2009

Question
ASA Co-Rec game:  Runners at 1st and 2nd, two outs.  Ground ball to short, tosses to 3rd base for the force, 3rd baseman drops ball and goes down to the ground to retrieve.  With foot on the bag and hand clutching ball - ball is still in contact with the ground - before runner reaches bag, umpire initially calls the runner out, then changes call to safe.  Ump explains that in order for the ball to be controlled it must be held up, off of the ground.

Team decides to protest the call, based on the umpires interpretation of what constitutes control.  My initial feeling is that this is a judgement call (not protestable), not an interpretation of a rule - maybe a definition, but not a rule.

What is the definition of "control" as it applies to this play and is this particular play protestable?

Thanks in advance for your time and input!

Answer
Hi Bill,

My opinion is based on ASA  8-7-c the runner is out...
"When, on a force play, a fielder contacts the base while holding the ball, or
tags the runner before the runner reaches the base."

In my opinion is F5 "holding" the ball?  No they have it trapped against the ground and are not holding it until they lift it off the ground.  If R1 attains 3rd before the ball is lifted from the ground they are safe, possession (control) whatever you want to call it did not happen before they advanced to the base.

Could a team protest this as a misapp?...Protests will not be considered if based solely on a decision involving the accuracy of judgment on the part of an umpire.  That's the spirit of the rule...so I suppose if they feel this is a rule misunderstanding of what constitutes control, they could try.

Mark