Never seen before batter interference call

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Nov 25, 2015
77
6
The Frozen Tundra
Situation : Runner on first. Runner steals on pitch, batter swings and misses. Batter has a habit of swinging bat right back to shoulder after a swing and a miss.

When catcher steps up to throw down to 2b out stretched glove hand gets hit by bat barely while batter is still in box.

Catcher had no chance at runner. runner speed, not hit glove.

Batter called out and runner returned to 1st.

how much protection does batter have in box.
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
Unless softball rules are different in this regard, and I can't find anywhere that suggests they are (I could be wrong!), it reminds me a bit of this play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAPwJ6qu2mw

That wasn't interference (though I believe the umpire screwed up by calling a dead ball and then allowing the runner to score even though the play was dead by his own ruling). What you describe is even less egregious since the path of the ball wasn't even affected by slight contact while the batter was in the box (and, it seems, not doing anything to intentionally affect the throw).
 

MTR

Jun 22, 2008
3,438
48
Situation : Runner on first. Runner steals on pitch, batter swings and misses. Batter has a habit of swinging bat right back to shoulder after a swing and a miss.

When catcher steps up to throw down to 2b out stretched glove hand gets hit by bat barely while batter is still in box.

Catcher had no chance at runner. runner speed, not hit glove.

Batter called out and runner returned to 1st.

how much protection does batter have in box.

This has nothing to do with being in the box. In the umpire's judgment, the batter's unorthodox action interfered with the catcher's ability to make a play on a runner. The call was correct
 
Apr 13, 2016
1
0
My daughter is a catcher, and from what I have always been told, hit the catcher with the bat before the bat crosses home plate, it's on the catcher. After the bat crosses home plate, it's on the batter.
 
Mar 26, 2013
1,934
0
Unless softball rules are different in this regard, and I can't find anywhere that suggests they are (I could be wrong!), it reminds me a bit of this play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAPwJ6qu2mw
Video unfortunately doesn't show 1-2 seconds more of before the throw was attempted. Looks like bat might have been held out before catcher started throwing ball back to pitcher. If so, I'd expect catcher needed to work around the bat since they weren't trying to make a play on a runner. If not, softball rules for interference generally require the fielder be attempting to make an out, so the correct call might be just dead ball rather than interference.

A better comparison would be with batters that fake a bunt while runner is stealing second and contact is made while pulling bat back.
 
Last edited:

MTR

Jun 22, 2008
3,438
48
Unless softball rules are different in this regard, and I can't find anywhere that suggests they are (I could be wrong!), it reminds me a bit of this play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAPwJ6qu2mw

That wasn't interference (though I believe the umpire screwed up by calling a dead ball and then allowing the runner to score even though the play was dead by his own ruling). What you describe is even less egregious since the path of the ball wasn't even affected by slight contact while the batter was in the box (and, it seems, not doing anything to intentionally affect the throw).

In USA, the video play would have been ruled as the umpire originally did, dead ball, all runners return.
 

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