r/nextfuckinglevel • u/nh89ab_ys • Mar 20 '23
Catch of the year by Olivia Taylor for Bear River in the Utah high school state championship game.
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
975
u/Quirky-Seesaw8394 Mar 20 '23
This is from May 2021. All of the headlines seem to imply that the catch did count as an out.
344
u/JulioForte Mar 20 '23
Absolutely amazing catch but dumb rule imo.
Not sure the rules were written with temporary low fences that you could essentially run through in mind.
239
u/AlaDouche Mar 20 '23
If she'd have run through it and then caught it, it would have been a home run.
→ More replies (63)166
u/wolfgang2399 Mar 20 '23
Can’t believe the state championship game is played in a field with temp fences.
35
u/Econolife_350 Mar 20 '23
Quality of equipment and funding for fields/travel is often dictated by interest generated in the general public by the sport. I don't know of any high school softball fans outside the immediate parents of the kids playing on that field in that moment.
→ More replies (5)19
u/wolfgang2399 Mar 20 '23
There has to be 50+ 4 field complexes that are built for softball that would love to host state tournament finals.
→ More replies (1)9
u/Econolife_350 Mar 20 '23
Maybe they charge more or are further out of the way for travel purposes like I stated. Maybe they're piggy-backing off an existing high school baseball championship game in the same spot for more visibility or attendance? There are probably a few dozen reasons gone through by the people who spent months organizing this than what our five second of analysis can generate.
6
u/fopiecechicken Mar 20 '23
Hard to tell from the angle but it looks like they’re playing on an full size men’s field with a real fence but they’ve shortened it with this temporary fence for the softball game.
Weird that they wouldn’t just find a properly sized softball field to play on.
→ More replies (1)5
u/h2oskid3 Mar 20 '23
It depends on what level they're playing at. If it's just 2 or 3A then they probably won't be playing at a big stadium.
→ More replies (1)3
u/TwoZeros Mar 20 '23
Are you sure it's not a game at a championship tourney but not THE championship game? The complex only has so many fields and they probably needed more than that.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (4)2
u/Exodys03 Mar 20 '23
Especially a two foot high fence with posts sticking up above the fence. That was an incredible catch but she was about a foot away from being shish kebobed by that stake.
13
u/17934658793495046509 Mar 20 '23
Same as pros vaulting up an outfield wall to steal a home run.
18
u/Seahawk715 Mar 20 '23
No it’s not. Not even close. She’s falling backwards out of the field of play. This isn’t Bo jackson scaling a wall to make a catch IN PLAY.
→ More replies (3)9
Mar 20 '23
[deleted]
9
u/Little_Orange_Bottle Mar 20 '23
These people clearly don't watch baseball because this happens all the damn time in foul territory.
2
u/Seahawk715 Mar 20 '23
Yeah, definitely better but even then Gordon was still close to in bounds with his body. Arm definitely over and maybe his chest. Side note - low fences like that are pointless to me and injuries waiting to happen.
→ More replies (1)2
u/DFisBUSY Mar 20 '23
i'm always skeptical of these kinda catches. Like who's to say the ball doesn't slip out and the player just stuffs it back into his glove quickly to "show" to the umpires?
still impressive though.
→ More replies (3)3
5
u/Little_Orange_Bottle Mar 20 '23
9�2�2�2 A fielder who falls over or through the fence after making a catch shall be credited with the catch�
They were actually.
With a non-low fence would the ball have even been a homerun?
Would a sturdier fence allow her to scale and catch the ball before it went over?
No and yes most likely.
I've seen a Japanese outfielder scale the wall, stand on top, then catch a homerun ball. Shit is crazy but legal.
4
u/Rehnion Mar 20 '23
This is the same as the rules in the majors. She left the ground in fair territory and caught it before landing again. A major leaguer can make a mid-air catch, flip over the fence and still have it count as an out.
2
u/tuckedfexas Mar 20 '23
Yep, same reason you can dive into the stands making a catch but can’t climb into them to make a catch
2
u/DarthSamwiseAtreides Mar 20 '23
You have to start your catch on the field. Similar catches have happened in the pros where there are permanent low fences.
This is extra impressive because she did this with out a warning track.
→ More replies (24)2
u/TheCenterOfEnnui Mar 20 '23
I'd be curious as to this state's rules on this. Not curious enough to research it, really; but if that's a legal catch, then it's a dumb rule. Why even have a fence. Just have a line.
→ More replies (45)14
u/Mystikalrush Mar 20 '23
The confusion is the out of bound barrier. Breaking the limit, like this clip is what confuses the rules. And as such, why most barriers are not impenetrable and the player hits a wall, If they can reach on top and slightly over, fair game. But if you go through the wall and catch it at an unrealistic 50ft outside the wall it's an out? If you see it by that logic you would definitely say, no that's beyond the limit and an out no matter what.
→ More replies (1)7
u/SgtWilk0 Mar 20 '23
shame, they should adopt similar rules to cricket, as this would be clear cut.
This would be a six and the player would not be out.In cricket when you're touching the boundary, or touching ground beyond the boundary, you become an extension of the boundary.
If you catch it whilst touching the group beyond the boundary it's 6 runs, end of.
You're allowed to land outside as long as you're not touching the ball.
You'll see players jump catch, throw the ball back and try to recatch the ball to get the batter out.
Like this: https://youtu.be/O1Dv5ZJGIFA
→ More replies (7)
526
u/AlaDouche Mar 20 '23 edited Mar 20 '23
Jesus, this entire comment section needs to be in r/confidentlyincorrect. If she started in play, left her feet going over the wall, and maintained control, it's an out. While it's not exactly common in baseball, it happens often enough that I'm really surprised that nobody has seen this happen before.
Here is six minutes of it happening in MLB.
EDIT: It's been brought to my attention that the first clip was eventually ruled a homerun, so there is five minutes and fifty seven seconds of it happening in MLB.
128
u/garden-wicket-581 Mar 20 '23
The comments indicating a poor fence (waist high, non-rigid/flexible/break-away) is what made this possible are more on-point.
64
u/AlaDouche Mar 20 '23
It doesn't really matter though. By the rules, the catch is legal.
→ More replies (7)→ More replies (2)5
u/Mamafritas Mar 20 '23
Field quirks are part of the game. The Astros had a fucking hill in their outfield up until a few years ago.
50
u/greg19735 Mar 20 '23
While i agree about confidently incorrect, i think it is more that people keep citing mlb.
This isn't mlb. The rules people cite don't apply
→ More replies (2)14
16
u/CopeHarders Mar 20 '23 edited Mar 20 '23
This always happens when a woman does something cool in sports. The comments section would rather dispute the accomplishment (like what’s happening here), show the men’s world record/version of a similar highlight, or just flat out sexualize the athlete and link to that stupid upvoted because girl subreddit rather than just enjoy the highlight.
Every time I point this out, every time I get downvoted. So the cycle continues I guess.
Edit: for the fragile turds that want argue with me, just look at the post I’m replying to, the 6 min YouTube video of men going over the wall, not a single comment asking if any instance was within the rules. No one posting rule books. Just people enjoying the athleticism.
8
u/chopkins92 Mar 20 '23
I don't think people are trying to dispute the accomplishment just because she's a girl. Redditors just love arguing about rules technicalities (myself included, honestly). You see this in sports subs all the time.
6
u/Mite-o-Dan Mar 20 '23
I have to disagree. If this was some all-men beer league softball game, the same discussion would be going on. This is Reddit. You think Reddit would 100% agree on anything?
5
u/TheCenterOfEnnui Mar 20 '23
jfc, this has nothing to do with any of that. You're being downvoted for bringing sexism in to something that has nothing to do with sexism.
You can find umpteen arguments over sports rules for men's sports.
→ More replies (11)→ More replies (1)2
u/kwiltse123 Mar 20 '23
Yeah, I'm sure it's because they're women. A debate like this would never happen with men. https://youtu.be/4xxj5ZN3cGg
→ More replies (5)8
4
u/GrunthosArmpit42 Mar 20 '23
Yeah, I’m no baseball rule nerd but it also seems as though their feet are technically over the field of play (barely) while horizontal? It’s not like they took their time calling a Uber to get the ball. lmao Regardless, I’m glad they didn’t break their arm trying to catch themselves at the end there. I’ve seen more than a few broke af forearm fractures because of that instinctive reaction while taking a dive on solid ground. Usually at the skatepark as a kid, or on the ice.
→ More replies (4)3
u/FerricNitrate Mar 20 '23
Literally the first clip in your linked montage was called a home run. It was even posted elsewhere in this thread, just in longer form where it shows the outcome.
→ More replies (1)4
u/the4thbelcherchild Mar 20 '23
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. The very first clip in your video is Ripken hitting a HR because the fielder went over the wall. Your crappy example just cuts away too quickly and you assume it was an out. Here's the full link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cs9iYJM_WE
5
u/TheCenterOfEnnui Mar 20 '23
Before you call others incorrect, you might want to make sure you know what YOU'RE talking about.
MLB rules aren't necessarily the same as high school softball; and just by looking at the first few catches in the video you linked; the first one, the guy didn't catch the ball; the second one, he caught the ball in the field of play, and the next two, the catch was ruled out of bounds. I didn't watch more because there was a lot more, but I don't know if I'd be using that video as a way to call others incorrect.
At the very least, you'd have know if whatever rules are used by Utah state high school softball allows that catch.
I am not saying her catch wasn't legal. I don't know. But your video proves nothing.
4
3
u/dfe931tar Mar 20 '23
It literally happened a few days ago in the NCAA with Alabama too. A whole lot of people who never watch high school / college softball with fences like this.
2
u/realog173 Mar 20 '23
You are also looking pretty confidently incorrect here. Are there any examples of legal catches where the player's body is completely out of the field of play when they make the catch? The timing and location of the catch matters more than whether they ended up out of play or not. For example, as far as I know, it is not allowed for a player to climb into the stands and catch the ball.
→ More replies (5)2
u/kwiltse123 Mar 20 '23
But if you notice, for example, the Rizzo catch (at 0:40), he stands on the wall and jumps into the crowd to make the catch. The umpire seems to rule "no catch" and signals that Rizzo was out-of-bounds when he made the catch. I always understood it as the players entire body has to leave the "field of play" (which includes foul territory) before it becomes a non-playable ball. If any portion of the players body remains in bounds, then it is a playable ball.
So to me if the girl makes the catch once her feet have extended beyond where the top edge of the wall would have been if the wall had not been reshaped by contact, it would have been a home run. It's an extremely difficult judgement call as to whether that's true, but I think once that's decided, that will determine if it is a catch or a non-playable ball (and therefore a home run). If on the other hand she caught it while her little toe was still in-bounds, it would be an out. As a side note, if there was less than 2 outs, and a runner on base, the runner might have been awarded a base if the player carried the ball from the field of play to out of bounds. I've witnessed that rule enforced at a high school baseball game when the catcher caught a pop-up behind the backstop.
We had a play almost identical to this at our local high school back in 2013. Here's the video and a discussion of the issue: https://youtu.be/4xxj5ZN3cGg. It was ruled an out, but there was a LOT of controversy at the game (which I was at).
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (24)2
213
u/FilmNo1534 Mar 20 '23
Ah to be young and not be afraid of ending up with a permanent injury
72
u/PM_YOUR__BUBBLE_BUTT Mar 20 '23
I hurt my back just using my phone to watch this video. Getting old sucks.
19
u/TaterTotQueen630 Mar 20 '23
Right? When I was in high school, I would have jumped, dove, slid, etc. Now that I'm older, I'd watch that shit as it sailed over my head. I wouldn't even lift my mitt for it 🤷🏽♀️
→ More replies (1)9
u/soimalittlecrazy Mar 20 '23
I was thinking she was pretty lucky, too. I broke my collarbone from a pretty similar fall.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (2)5
u/wm_lex_dev Mar 20 '23
I'm trying to figure out if she was lucky, or extremely practiced in how to fall backwards safely.
170
u/polymathlife Mar 20 '23
Great catch! Are those metal T-posts? That doesn't seem prudent.
65
u/westcoast209 Mar 20 '23
No they are plastic. Our little league uses the same fence.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (1)32
Mar 20 '23 edited Mar 25 '23
[deleted]
→ More replies (1)12
u/nate800 Mar 20 '23
They have rounded tips and very little tensile strength. They give easily.
→ More replies (3)
100
u/CrackityJones33
Mar 20 '23
•
While we all have opinions, the catch was officially ruled an out by the umpire as the catch was made prior to touching any part of the field that was out of bounds. https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/24/22451980/olivia-taylor-highlight-reel-catch-stopped-home-run-helped-win-state-title-bear-river-utah-softball
→ More replies (1)30
u/Galactic_Gander Mar 20 '23
Thank you for posting, but the ruling is pretty obvious. I bet anyone with the opposite opinion didn’t spend much time playing baseball or softball. Catching balls that would have been homeruns by jumping happens regularly. And the distance to the end of the outfield is not an exact number, but a range. So any small advantage a certain fence type may allow in jump distance is irrelevant. Batter should have hit it farther. Throw the next pitch lol
11
3
u/TwiztedImage Mar 20 '23
Catching balls that would have been homeruns by jumping happens regularly.
The problem is they don't typically result with the player outside the field of play. That's why the opinions are all over the place in here. The overwhelming majority of players jumping to catch a ball come back down inside the field and the rules can be read more clearly that way.
Rules are going to vary depending on leagues and such. In my kid's league right now, this is a HR, but in this video, it was an out. There's so many city leagues out there with varying rules its impossible to know without looking at that specific rulebook.
70
u/sloppyredditor Mar 20 '23
Awesome catch, way to go for it.
That said: If this is a permanent field, whoever thought steel posts and a short fabric fence was a good idea for the border should be (1) fired and (2) slapped.
31
u/JammJamm2016 Mar 20 '23
They are making the field smaller for the match, with temporary fence. The fans are sitting in the actual outfield.
→ More replies (1)12
25
u/Anakin-Skywakr Mar 20 '23
That's a six
6
u/Mrcientist Mar 20 '23
It certainly is.
And aren't cricket catches so much better than baseball? Shorter distances, flatter balls, no glove.
4
3
22
u/Ok-Answer-6951 Mar 20 '23
Be ready for the downvotes from everyone who thinks they know the rules lol
18
u/camelfarmer1 Mar 20 '23
You guys should really watch cricket.
17
u/Middle_Somewhere6969 Mar 20 '23 edited Mar 20 '23
Right. If the catcher lands out of bounds then the catch doesn't count. They have to land inside the boundary.
This rule has lead to two-person catch plays where the catcher leaps over the boundary and, while still with both feet off the ground, catches the ball and throws it back to the second player inside the boundary. There are some awesome plays of this happening.
6
u/akatherder Mar 20 '23
I'm in the US where we don't really follow cricket but I've seen some cool plays. Like some guy hauling ass and catches it but his momentum is carrying him to the line. He tosses it up in the air backwards, then recovers and catches it back in bounds(?) I don't even know the rules but it's clear what he's doing and it's impressive.
We don't have the same thing in baseball. You can catch it and go over the foul line. That happens routinely. It's probably closer to catching a home run but there's a large fence on that line which people rarely flip over that.
5
u/gave2haze Mar 20 '23
Cricket rules allowing catching outside the line are mostly recent, but usually allow a catch if the ball and player do not touch the ground outside the line. Air does not count as being outside the line essentially.
I have a question about baseball rules however, as in the video it seems to me that even the ball touches the ground after she has caught it. In cricket this would still not be an out, the catcher must keep hold of the ball and stay balanced afaik. How would it count under baseball rules?
2
u/akatherder Mar 20 '23
As long as the ball stays in her glove it's an out, even though her glove touches the ground.
2
u/Leprichaun17 Mar 20 '23 edited Mar 21 '23
Honestly, you should give it a go. You've got nothing to lose except a couple of hours. There's actually a league that's about to start up in the US! While it's being run by the same teams as the Indian Premier League (and unfortunately, the fucking terrible team names that come with that), it'll be cool to see some professional cricket in the US and I hope it gets some new fans. Starts in July and goes for just 3 weeks.
2
u/TheCenterOfEnnui Mar 20 '23
That's the way it is in baseball too. And I wonder if this catch is even legal, tbh.
→ More replies (1)11
u/Grisham2107 Mar 20 '23
These types of catches are so common in cricket. No disrespect to the girl in the video, still an amazing catch.
4
16
u/Cheap_Steel Mar 20 '23
So... Brit here. What is this sport? Underarm throw, soft looking ball etc... Is this still baseball? I know it sounds dumb but we seriously don't have a clue about baseball. The only shit I've seen if on reddit but never in my normal life
26
u/AlaDouche Mar 20 '23
This is softball. Very similar, with some tweaks here and there.
17
u/ionertia Mar 20 '23
For some reason Americans thought women shouldn't play women's baseball. So they play softball.
→ More replies (3)11
u/AlaDouche Mar 20 '23
It probably is rooted in sexism, but there's some legitimate arguments that claim that fastpitch softball is harder.
17
u/apleima2 Mar 20 '23
From my understanding, the pitcher has significantly more control of the ball during the pitch.
ESPN (i think) used to have a segment with MLB players trying to hit a softball pitched by the US Olympic softball team's ace pitcher, almost nobody could even make contact.
9
u/akatherder Mar 20 '23
I think it's probably a muscle memory thing. Not necessarily harder, but just different.
If you're an MLB player, you've spent 20+ years hitting a 90 mph ball thrown from about 55 feet away. You're watching the pitcher's hand and arm position to try and get a clue about the pitch. It's all muscle memory.
Then you move the mound closer, the pitches are slower (i.e. approx the same response time) and the arm is underhand instead of overhand.
I still couldn't hit either lol. But it's like shooting a free throw from 2 feet closer and the ball is twice as heavy or something that completely kills your technique/muscle memory.
→ More replies (1)2
5
u/Cheap_Steel Mar 20 '23
Oh OK. I thought softball was kickball thanks to American dad lmao
13
u/AlaDouche Mar 20 '23
Haha, no it's definitely more like baseball.
There are two types, fastpitch and slowpitch. Slowpitch is generally more recreational, while fastpitch (like this video) is generally more competitive but also generally only a women's sport. There are exceptions, but for the most part, that's how they parse out.
→ More replies (10)2
2
u/brain_fell_out Mar 20 '23
It’s Softball. Often unfairly portrayed as a sorta lesser “women’s baseball” but is actually very very different and just as difficult. Same positions and generally the same rules but with a bigger ball, smaller field and is more fast-paced. They’re sorta just different flavors of the same sport rather than a “true” version and a watered down version. The kinda thing that LOOKS the same to a spectator but if you’ve played a lot of either they’re wildly different and require much different skillsets. Pro baseball players probably can’t hit a pro softball and vice versa.
→ More replies (1)2
u/Goronmon Mar 20 '23
soft looking ball
Just to be clear, despite the name, the ball used is very hard. Basically just a bigger baseball.
12
11
8
u/LordAxalon110 Mar 20 '23
As a none American Why do they pitch under arm?
→ More replies (1)22
u/Rolling_Beardo Mar 20 '23
It’s softball it’s a different sport than baseball. I’m not sure how the underhand started but it’s a more natural arm motion than overhand .
→ More replies (13)
5
u/SchmeckleHoarder Mar 20 '23
"Each runner, other than the batter, may without liability to be put out, advance one base when... A fielder, after catching a fly ball, falls into a bench or stand, or falls across ropes into a crowd when spectators are on the field; Rule 7.04(c) Comment: If a fielder, after having made a legal catch, should fall into a stand or among spectators or into the dugout or any other out-of-play area while in possession of the ball after making a legal catch, or fall while in the dugout after making a legal catch, the ball is dead and each runner shall advance one base, without liability to be put out, from his last legally touched base at the time the fielder fell into, or in, such out-of-play area."
It's an out.
2
u/frankbeans82 Mar 20 '23
What you are quoting isn't about the legality of the catch, but about runner advancement if the fielder, more or less, ends up out of the field of play.
4
6
6
3
u/chaenorrhinum Mar 20 '23
Well. You can see how much Utah invests in womens’ sports.
4
u/robynnadine Mar 20 '23
I was also thinking they must have underestimated how far they can hit the ball lol
→ More replies (1)1
3
3
2
u/jd3marco Mar 20 '23
There’s a spirited and somewhat dickish debate in the comments…it was ruled an out: https://www.deseret.com/2021/5/24/22451980/olivia-taylor-highlight-reel-catch-stopped-home-run-helped-win-state-title-bear-river-utah-softball.
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/jmccormack74 Mar 21 '23
In Kansas, that is a home run. Player must have one foot on the ground and maintain contact with it in the playing field to be called a catch on a temporary fence. They can fall into and knock fence down as long as that foot never comes up. With a permanent fence they can jump and go over as long as they don't touch the ground on the other side of the fence with any part of their body. Still a heck of an effort and play here just not a catch.
→ More replies (1)
1
1
1
2.8k
u/YouAreMyGirl Mar 20 '23
Legit question, wouldn’t that still be an HR?