Rule 4.03 states that all fielders other than the catcher must be in fair territory when the ball is put in play.

Must BOTH feet be in fair, or is one good enough? I am referring to fielders at 1B and 3B.

Depends on what rule set you are working......you quote OBR, but since this is a HS site, I will quote FED first.......please note the differences

NFHS
1-1-4
Except the catcher, all fielders must be in fair territory at the Time of the Pitch. A fielder is in fair ground if he has one foot in fair territory.....

NCAA
5-4

Except the catcher, all fielders must be in fair territory when the ball is put in play. A fielder is in fair ground if he has one foot in fair territory.....

OBR
4.03

Except the catcher, all fielders must be in fair territory when the ball is put in play....

Official interps on this rule are:

PBUC- a player is in fair ground only when he has both feet in fair territory.

EVANS- In the MAJOR leagues, the first baseman is not required to have both feet in fair territory.

PBUC- Umpires should not insist a fielder have both feet in fair territory unless one team complains , but thereafter the umpire will require fielders to have both feet in fair ground....

In practical usage.........(read 2 man system) dont go looking for this....... with runners on, there is no way you can see this from the B or C position........

Thanks for the thorough response. This is 15-17 year olds. I wasn't looking for this. 3B coach brought this to my attention last night between innings. I responded that, if 3B has one foot touching the line, he is considered to be in fair territory. In addition, as 3B was placing himself in a poor position, I suggested that it was to the offenses advantage to let it go. Last, I stated that if I saw 3B with both feet out of play, I would ask him to move into fair, before I allowed a pitch.

I'm with PIAA with the don't go looking for it. I see some F3s put their foot against foul side of the bag. The interp is touching the line is in fair, so by extention touching the bag is also fair.

I don't believe that the rules stipulate a penalty.

In OBR it doesn't stipulate a penalty. It's a don't do that. It is simply an instruction to the umpire to not allow it. It is just like retouching after a foul ball. ?The rule book says the runner has to retouch but doesn't give a penalty. The umpire just needs to make sure to not to put the ball in play until it happens.

Yes, Michael, it is much ado about nothing but can escalate into an USC call and, I suppose, an ejection.

quote:

Yes, Michael, it is much ado about nothing but can escalate into an USC call and, I suppose, an ejection.

Any coach who gets himself ejected over this call either wants to be ejected or using this call to get his pound of flesh from a previous call......

Or we have a OOO umpire.......

This is just not a worthy thing to escalate into an argument of that scale.....

quote:

Originally posted by piaa_ump:

quote:

Yes, Michael, it is much ado about nothing but can escalate into an USC call and, I suppose, an ejection.

Any coach who gets himself ejected over this call either wants to be ejected or using this call to get his pound of flesh from a previous call......

Or we have a OOO umpire.......

This is just not a worthy thing to escalate into an argument of that scale.....

Defensive player refuses to accept the rule. You stop play, you instruct the player, he refuses.

What do you do? Ignore the rule?

Continued violations could be an ejection. Certainly not where you want to go but it is a possibility.

quote:

Originally posted by Poosey:

quote:

Originally posted by piaa_ump:

quote:

Yes, Michael, it is much ado about nothing but can escalate into an USC call and, I suppose, an ejection.

Any coach who gets himself ejected over this call either wants to be ejected or using this call to get his pound of flesh from a previous call......

Or we have a OOO umpire.......

This is just not a worthy thing to escalate into an argument of that scale.....

Defensive player refuses to accept the rule. You stop play, you instruct the player, he refuses.

What do you do? Ignore the rule?

EJECT

quote:

Originally posted by NavyUmp:

quote:

Originally posted by Poosey:

quote:

Originally posted by piaa_ump:

quote:

Yes, Michael, it is much ado about nothing but can escalate into an USC call and, I suppose, an ejection.

Any coach who gets himself ejected over this call either wants to be ejected or using this call to get his pound of flesh from a previous call......

Or we have a OOO umpire.......

This is just not a worthy thing to escalate into an argument of that scale.....

Defensive player refuses to accept the rule. You stop play, you instruct the player, he refuses.

What do you do? Ignore the rule?

EJECT

Yep, gone.