The transfer rule: when is it an out?
If he had it secured in the glove and dropped it pulling it out to throw, the out stands. If it came out before he ever had control, there's no catch.
The transfer rule causes a lot of arguments, mostly because it looks like a dropped ball. And to be fair, it is one — the drop just comes after the catch.
The classic play is a double-play ball. The shortstop takes the flip at second, pulls the ball out to throw and it squirts loose. The runner’s called out at second, and the other coach wants him safe. “He dropped it!”
A catch is complete when the fielder has the ball secured in his glove or hand. What he does after that is a transfer, and a ball dropped during the transfer was already caught, so the out stands. On a force play at second, that means the runner was out the moment the shortstop had the ball in his glove with his foot on the bag. Losing it on the way to his throwing hand doesn’t undo that.
But it works the other way, too. If the ball was never secured (it hit the glove and was still moving when he reached in for it), that’s a drop and not a transfer. There’s no catch, and the runner is safe. The umpire is simply deciding which of those two things he saw.
So what is he looking for? Did the glove close? Did the ball stop? Did the fielder start a new motion, like the reach across to grab it, before the ball came out? If the answer is yes to all three, it’s a catch. A ball that bounces around in the glove and falls out as he reaches for it never got that far.
Tag plays work the same way. The runner slides in, and the fielder tags him with the ball in the glove. Then he loses it pulling it out to throw. He’s out, because the tag was made with the ball secured, and losing it afterward doesn’t matter.
Fly balls follow the same rule, and in my experience, this is where it gets argued the most. If the outfielder catches it, takes a crow hop and drops it on the exchange, it’s a catch. If the ball pops out as he hits the ground, it’s no catch. The difference is whether the drop came from the throwing motion or from something else. The what counts as a catch card goes deeper on the catch itself.
We can help our fielders by teaching a visible squeeze before the transfer. It’s the fielder’s way of telling the umpire the catch is done, so make it obvious!
Which rulebook? Official Baseball Rules, definition of a catch: if a fielder has made the catch and drops the ball while in the act of making a throw following the catch, the ball is caught. The pro umpire manual since 2014 reads it the same way for tags and force plays. NFHS 2-9-1 is the same principle, and Little League follows the pro definition.
Force play at second. The shortstop takes the flip with his foot on the bag, and the ball settles in his glove. Then it squirts out as he reaches in to throw. Out or safe?
Still have a question? Ask Coach Fungo.
“Watch the glove close and the ball stop. After that, a drop on the transfer doesn't save the runner.”
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