"The Ball Rolled Under The Fence!"
by Brent McLaren
Long before the game a member of the crew walks around the outfield. The report
comes back, "They still haven't filled in the holes out in left field, you could roll
two softball stacked on top of each other under that fence."
Now it's game time and in the pregame conference you add: "The holes under the
fence in left field have not been fixed yet, so if the ball rolls under the fence have
your fielder put his hands up in the air and we will get out there and award a ground rule
double. If the fielder attempts a play on the ball the ball will remain alive." Don't do it!
This added ground rule will sooner or later come back to haunt you. Here is why:





it is a cover up for poor umpire mechanics. When the ball goes that far into the outfield
one of the umpires should have been moving on the play.
it conveys the image that the fielder can signal the ball and play dead. Only the umpire
can make that call.
it creates a potentially impossible-to-make judgment call particularly if the fielder
touched or handled if it went under the fence. Play: R1 and the ball hit to deep left. If the
fielder makes a play the run scores, pushing the ball a touch however leaves runners at
first and third. What would your choice be?
is the ball under the fence, just under the fence, partially under the fence? This is an
umpire's call, not a fielder's.
the ball rolls under but the fielder retrieves it. This is a dead ball. Can fielder make a play
with a ball returned to the field by a spectator?
The potential for an ugly situation has been created:
Play: with the bases loaded the batter hits a ball right to the wall. The ball rolls under the fence
but the fielder attempts to play the ball as it squirts farther under the fence eventually out of
reach. Based on your plate conference you must now award a bases loaded home run, you said
"the ball remains alive."
Play: the ball rolls under the fence where the fielder retrieves it and throws the runner out at third
base. In both cases the proper award, a ground rule double, was excluded by the situation you
created.
What would you do if the fielder caught the ball and then carried it out-of-play? Even on
enclosed fields this can happen. Recently a young fielder caught a flyball and continued to run
into the dugout. Can this fielder return to throw out the runner advancing to home? Is this any
different than the fielder who attempts to play the ball near the fence only to watch it roll away,
out of play? Can the ball really remain alive? Different leagues have varying interpretations,
some require you to rule whether the fielder acted intentionally or unintentionally, but the ball is
dead and the runners will advance according to the league's rule interpretations and your
judgement.
What is the proper plate conference discussion and mechanic? At the plate simply inform the
coaches of the holes and "if the ball goes through any of the holes have your fielder signal us
and we will apply the proper rules." None of the possibilities are eliminated: the ball rolls under
= ground rule double, if the fielder carries or assists the ball under the fence (intentionally or
unintentionally) we apply the book rule for the league. If the fielder retrieves the ball from under
the opening the ball is dead and we will apply the appropriate rules.
Having the fielder put his arm(s) up in the air is the preferable method to signal you if you are
not already out by the ball. In two umpire systems there may be times when no umpire "goes"
until trouble has been indicated from the field. In general, if you are waiting that long before
moving aggressively out to see the situation you are inviting problems.
The ball will remain in play until you, the umpire, determine it is "dead." If the center
fielder is waving at you the odds are the ball can't be reached otherwise only outright hustle will
determine whether play continues or not. When all else fails err on the side of keeping the ball
alive and in play until you can make the correct call.