For the umpires, do you call infield fly rule differently if 80's are playing?
In one of our 80's games last week at ISSA in Richmond, with runners on first and second, the batter hit a very high pop-up between the pitcher & second base. The pitcher looking up took several steps toward the ball. The second baseman thinking the pitcher might get it took several steps towards the ball,but never got directly under it. When the umpire was asked why was an infield fly not called, he said this is 80's ball and I need to see the fielder under the ball. On a very high pop up in the infield, should the umpire wait to make the call until he sees a fielder directly under the ball?

Infield Fly is partially an umpire judgement call. The rules basically says you must have runners at first and 2nd or bases loaded with less than two out. It also says that it can be caught with a routine effort. This is the part that is umpire judgement, what is routine effort. As an umpire, I must consider the skill level of the teams playing. The lower the skill level the less likely it is routine. The higher the skill level, the more likely it is routine. An umpire must also take into account the age of the players and there ability to get to the ball to make the catch without extra effort. The purpose of the infield fly is to keep the defense from getting an easy double or triple play because the players cannot run due to a pop up on the infield. Still, it boils down to umpire judgment and even if his judgment was poor on the play, the call will usually stand. There is a rule in SSUSA that if the umpire fails to call infield fly by mistake and in his judgment it should have been, he can correct it. An example of this is he didn't realize there were runners at first and second or thought there was two outs when there was only one, so he failed to call it even though in his judgment he would have normally done so. Again, if the rule circumstances are right and he doesn't think it was an infield fly, then his call will stand.