If a fair line drive is touched by a defensive player before hitting an umpire, what is the ruling?

When a fair line drive is touched by a defensive player before hitting the umpire, the ruling is that the ball is live and in play. This is based on the principle that once the ball has been touched by a fielder, it becomes part of the active play. The act of a defensive player making contact with the ball gives it a live status, meaning that play continues and runners can advance.

In this particular scenario, the umpire being touched by the ball after it has been contacted by the fielder does not affect the status of the ball as live. Instead, it simply clarifies that any subsequent action will depend on the outcomes following that contact. Therefore, runners can still advance or attempt to score, and the game continues seamlessly as if the ball were in standard play.

The other possible outcomes would not accurately reflect the rules governing active play and the situations surrounding the interaction with the umpire in this case.