Rec. end of the year tournament and 3 different leagues. I'm not sure to be honest. I think the runner should have been safe but it would probably only be called maybe once out of a 100X. Just handled terrible. Nobody was mad until the umpire was a complete jerk. He umpired three games and all three games the coaches went off on him because of his attitude. He actually called 3 pretty good games.
Make the call
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Rec. end of the year tournament and 3 different leagues. I'm not sure to be honest. I think the runner should have been safe but it would probably only be called maybe once out of a 100X. Just handled terrible. Nobody was mad until the umpire was a complete jerk. He umpired three games and all three games the coaches went off on him because of his attitude. He actually called 3 pretty good games.
The actual ruling is in the case plays and I have posted it several times before on other threads with similar plays. The play involves a ground ball to SS and a runner at 2nd. SS muffs the ball and turns to try and pick it up. The runner is trying to run behind the ss and collides with them. The ruling is not only is it not interference on the runner, it should be ruled obstruction on the SS. As for the rule itself I don't have the book in front of me but it is about a deflected batted ball. Once the ball.has been deflected the runner must do something judged to be intentional to be called for Interference.
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I can see a no interference call in the situation where the runner is running behind the fielder, the ball is deflected away, and the fielder then turns around to chase it. In that case, the ball is now past the infield, and unless something deliberate happens, play continues. However, if the SS has a ball pop out of her glove right in front of her, within reach, and the runner collides with her, is it still a "no call'?
I have provided the applicable USA rule, once the ball is deflected by the fielder the runner must be judged to have done something intentional to be called for interference. It doesn't matter if it is in front, to the side or behind, the rule simply says a deflected batted ball. And per the case play, it would be obstruction on the fielder. The case play says nothing about there no longer being a possible play because the ball went behind the fielder.
USSSA also uses the step and reach concept for an initial play.
I didn't say anything about a play no longer being possible.
I asked about a more common situation than your case play, and how you would apply this vague rule.
However, it seems you would call obstruction, which would be a ridiculous call, in the situation I outlined. One could reasonably argue that if the runner was close enough to collide with a fielder who had the ball pop out right in front of her glove, that a collision would have occurred even if the ball had been fielded cleanly. Or, the runner was running too closely in front of the fielder, which is "intentional".
The rules address what actually happens, not what might have happened if.... How long would you have the fielder continue to be protected after not making the play cleanly? If the ball pops out then the fielder didn't make the play (regardless if it goes in front, behind, or to the side) and should no longer be protected from interference and is, in fact, obstructing if they impede the runner. You can't make the call based on something that didn't happen but could have.
- Jun 22, 2008
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Sounds like you are looking more for a confirmation than a ruling. Comp's response is correct.
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