Batter interference?

[radness]

There were times from my catching position and pitch location that had to throw over the top of the batter to 3rd.
Right handed,
Would use my left arm with glove to sort ''move the batter' out of my way going into my throw.

Never had an umpire mention anything.

Whats the rulebook on this?
Thanku Umpires!

 

[jackfrost]

There were times from my catching position and pitch location that had to throw over the top of the batter to 3rd.
Right handed,
Would use my left arm with glove to sort ''move the batter' out of my way going into my throw.

Never had an umpire mention anything.

Whats the rulebook on this?
Thanku Umpires!

I'd be giving you a warning against that. If batter is not moving and in the box, you have to go around her. If batter is moving or actually interferes, its on me (the umpire) to apply the interference penalty. But if she is stationary and in the box, I'd be talking to you if you push her out of the way and I'd be talking with your coach to bring in a new catcher if it happens again. Thats exactly how it played out a few years back in a game i umpired.

 

[radness]

I'd be giving you a warning against that. If batter is not moving and in the box, you have to go around her. If batter is moving or actually interferes, its on me (the umpire) to apply the interference penalty. But if she is stationary and in the box, I'd be talking to you if you push her out of the way and I'd be talking with your coach to bring in a new catcher if it happens again. Thats exactly how it played out a few years back in a game i umpired.

? Maybe it was a fast play and batter needed/couldnt move out of way for the throw?
Vacate area?
Batter make reasonable effort to vacate area?

*as a notation this was not tossing the batter to the side.
Just encouragement to crunch down or lean a bit

 

[jackfrost]

? Maybe it was a fast play and batter needed/couldnt move out of way for the throw?
Vacate area?
Batter make reasonable effort to vacate area?

*as a notation this was not tossing the batter to the side.
Just encouragement to crunch down or lean a bit

batter is NOT supposed to move to the side. Catcher has to go around batter. If batter finishes her swing and stands stationary, it is responsibility of the catcher to go around her. If batter is moving, even if she is trying to get out of the way, she will be called for interference. Only time batter has to move is to get out of way for play at the plate. Throw down to 3rd, catcher has to move, not the batter.

 

[radness]

In USSSA, the batter’s box is not a safe haven and intent is not judged. Stepping out of the batter’s box is one way of interfering.

USSSA
7-12: A batter shall not interfere with the catcher’s fielding or throwing by leaning over home plate, by stepping out of the batter’s box, by making any other movement which hinders action at home or the catcher’s attempt to play on a runner, or by failing to make a reasonable effort to vacate congested area when there is a throw to home and there is time for the batter to move away.
PENALTY: Dead ball; the batter is out.

? Batters box not safe haven?

Would that play throwing over batters head be the same as S.S. throwing over runners head on a double play?

 

[jackfrost]

? Batters box not safe haven?

Would that play throwing over batters head be the same as S.S. throwing over runners head on a double play?

Batter has to move out of way for play at the plate. but if throwing to a base, batter gets to stay put as long as she doesn't do any of the things described that interfer.

 

[marriard]

? Maybe it was a fast play and batter needed/couldnt move out of way for the throw?
Vacate area?
Batter make a reasonable effort to vacate area?

*as a notation this was not tossing the batter to the side.
Just encouragement to crunch down or lean a bit

Lots of "have to be there", but the batter can't magically disappear so as long as they didn't do anything ridiculously stupid or move into the throw (remember intent is not required), they are probably OK. Catchers still have to get around them one way or another especially on a quick snap throw. If there is some slight contact, as long as you don't plow into the batter or throw them aside or go out of the way to make it look like they interfered - slight contact is probably not going to be much if it was not unreasonable.

I warned a catcher this weekend for intentionally trying to make contact with a batter when it was totally unnecessary. She got a warning in her ear about that. A couple of years one local catcher was told by her coaches on throws to third to bounce the throw off the batter on purpose; the umpires put a quick stop to that practice.

 

[inumpire]

Yes. Once she leaves the box her intent doesn't matter. If she stays in the box she is generally safe there as long as the umpire doesn't think she interfered intentionally.

Sorry, no she isn’t out, unless she makes a flagrant act to interfere .

 

[inumpire]

In USSSA, the batter’s box is not a safe haven and intent is not judged. Stepping out of the batter’s box is one way of interfering.

USSSA
7-12: A batter shall not interfere with the catcher’s fielding or throwing by leaning over home plate, by stepping out of the batter’s box, by making any other movement which hinders action at home or the catcher’s attempt to play on a runner, or by failing to make a reasonable effort to vacate congested area when there is a throw to home and there is time for the batter to move away.
PENALTY: Dead ball; the batter is out.

Sorry, disagree on this. If that is the case, and I am catching, I am hitting the batter every time.

 

[inumpire]

The only situation that does require a throw to have interference is for a running lane violation. In that situation and that situation only it does require a throw and it must be a quality throw. In the case of batters interference, if you as the umpire judge the batters actions caused the catcher to pull up from making the throw you can still rule interference.

Seriously????