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Fair or Foul?

A quick baseball question from Thom:

OK, I'm serving as first base coach this morning. Batter hits a ground ball that lands 1 foot in foul territory on first base line and then spins back into fair territory before getting to first base. The first baseman fields the ball, makes the play at first base and the argument ensues!

If a ball lands in foul territory first and then bounces fair before first base, is it a fair ball and playable?

Thanks for your help!

Answer: I believe the batter should have been ruled OUT. If the ball was not touched while in foul territory and then rolled back into fair territory before passing first base and was then picked up, it is a fair ball and is playable. That is why, on slow rollers down the foul line, you see fielders touch the ball as soon as it crosses the line into foul territory. In your situation, if a fielder had touched the ball while it was foul, it would have been a foul ball.

I cannot explain why the umpire ruled it foul. Did he give any explanation?

To confirm my answer I checked with a local umpires' group.