Should the ability of players be taken into accounts when the umpire calls the infield fly rule. I know that the rule should be called if in the umpires judgment, the ball could have been caught with ordinary effort.
However a 60 year age level team has a much better chance of catching fly balls than does a 75 year old team. I appreciate your responses. Thank you

Randall.. I don't look at a players ability or age on calling IF.. what I look at is if the fielder is using ordinary effort in getting to the ball to make the catch..

BJ is correct!
Age or ability should not be a factor

Stick8,

I agree and had a disagreement with an ump last year down in GA about that. Our 2B was well let's say wouldn't pass a DUI if his life depended on it and there was a routing pop up to him with men on 1B and 2B and I stood behind the plate saying multiple times to the Ump "Infield Fly, Infield Fly, Infield Fly" while the ball was in the air but she refused to call it. While this was going on the 2B was standing under the ball spinning around in at least 2 1/2 rotations trying to catch it and it landed 3' behind him and then he couldn't find it.. When the play was over she said that's why I didn't call Infield Fly because in his condition it was no longer a routing fly ball as the rule states.. Hard to argue with her, he pretty much proved her point it wasn't routine..

Donna McGuire posted a very good summary of the infield rule in the SSUSA summer newsletter in 2018. With her being a SSUSA chief umpire and chair of the rules committee the concepts should followed until changed.
She said ...A fielder must be able to catch the ball – and catch it with “ordinary effort.” As such, wind conditions, sun conditions and defenders’ abilities MUST be taken into account. Consider two pop flies. One happens in our 50+ division, and a fielder moves quickly enough that he can camp under the ball as it descends. An identical pop fly happens in the 80+ division, but the closest fielder can’t get there quickly enough to get camped. He either will catch the ball on the run or not at all. Two identical pop flies.

The article is quite long and I only posted a section related to this discussion.

Paul C.. I never read the article that Donna wrote but what you posted below I totally agree with.. yes age and weather conditions can be a factor but I don't assume because a player is in the 80's bracket that they won't get to a fly ball .. what I do look at is if the fielder is getting to the ball with ORDINARY EFFORT .. if it is windy I do wait a little longer to see if the fielder is under the ball and ready to catch it .. remember the purpose of the rule is to protect the runners and SSUSA's rule even lets the umpire make the call after the play is over if they failed to call Infield Fly

I thank you for your discussions. Is there a way that I could read Donna McGuires writings concerning this matter?