Retired batter interference?

Ok. This was new. Runner on one. Batter pops out to right center, ball is caught and batter heads to dugout. Center fielder throws to 1st and the ball is missed and hits the batter that is almost too the dugout, she did try to evade the ball but failed. The runner was called out due to "retired batter interference" this is PGF. Legit?

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grmerrill said:

Ok. This was new. Runner on one. Batter pops out to right center, ball is caught and batter heads to dugout. Center fielder throws to 1st and the ball is missed and hits the batter that is almost too the dugout, she did try to evade the ball but failed. The runner was called out due to "retired batter interference" this is PGF. Legit?

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1 Where was the runner and what, if any, action was she taking at the time the ball became blocked?

2 Where was the defender most likely to play the overthrow at the time the ball became blocked?

The runner had retreated back to her bag and was on her feet, it was not close to being an out had it been caught. The throw was on the infield side of first and the batter was in between the on deck circle and the dugout. She tried to jump the ball but it hit one of her legs and deflected down the fence. The only defender would have been the catcher and she was at the plate. The pitcher was in the circle, no one else was near.

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PGF uses NFHS rules. NFHS rule 8-6-16-c says “After being declared out or after scoring, a runner interferes with a defensive player's opportunity to make a play on another runner. A runner continuing to run and drawing a throw may be considered a form of interference. This does not apply to the batter-runner running on the dropped third strike rule. PENALTY: (Art. 16) The ball is dead and the runner closest to home plate at the time of the interference shall be declared out. Each other runner must return to the last base touched at the time of the interference.”

- Excerpt From
2018 Softball Rules Book
NFHS

Based on your description, I suppose this is the rule that the umpires used, not taking into consideration that the runner tried to avoid the throw since the rule doesn’t make any mention of the words intentional or unintentional.


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This was brutal to do on a phone in a hotel room.......

But you can compare what happened to my recollection.

https://youtu.be/pdAsnrhOkNw

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Based on the rule posted, I'm not sure this was the right call.

The ball hit her, yes, but a ball simply hitting a retired runner does not automatically trigger interference. The "interferes with a defensive player's opportunity to make a play on another runner" never actually came into play here. There was no defensive player there to have the opportunity.

But still, that seems like a judgment call. I'm not sure I like that the umpire called it the instant it hit her though. He called it before the runner even took off for second. Based on the rule posted, if the runner never tries for second, there can't possibly be interference since there was no play for the defense to attempt to make.

grmerrill said:

This was brutal to do on a phone in a hotel room.......

But you can compare what happened to my recollection.

https://youtu.be/pdAsnrhOkNw

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Nothing but a blocked ball. Kill the play and put the runner back at 1st. As stated, just because she got hit by the ball does not automatically make it interference. At the time she was hit she did not interfere in the defenses ability to make an out.

Comp said:

Nothing but a blocked ball. Kill the play and put the runner back at 1st. As stated, just because she got hit by the ball does not automatically make it interference. At the time she was hit she did not interfere in the defenses ability to make an out.

Click to expand...

Piling on here. There needs to actually be an act of INT which means there must be a play with which to INT. From the OP and follow-up, there is no evidence there was a possible play on a runner still standing on the base and no defender in a position to field the errant throw.

Thank you. We will be prepared if it ever happens again.

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Also piling on....from seeing the video (thank you) it looks clear to me that the play was over and ball should have been called dead.
What Comp said.