ASU Obstruction?

[tghorley]

Unofficial poll, did the runner for Arizona St obstruct the shortstop when fielding the ball in the bottom of the seventh inning? Just my opinion, yes from the camera angle I saw. I may change my mind if I see a different angle.

Thanks Amy, I meant interference.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Yes. (I mean interference.) You should see what is being said about it on the college site. http://robocoach.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5290405

 

[guero_gordo]

I saw interference.

 

[Comp]

Offense interferes with defense, defense obstructs offense.

Looked like interference in person, got home and watched replay and removed all doubt.

 

[Texarkana]

I hate that it ended up like it did, I bleed maroon (Aggie Maroon, Class of '90). I really want to give the blue the benefit of the doubt. I am sure there was reasonable doubt, and no one wanted to take the game out of the players hands. From the NCAA rules:

12.19 Interference
Interference is an act that denies a defensive player a reasonable opportunity
to make a play (field/throw) anywhere on the playing field. The act may be
intentional or unintentional, and the ball must have been playable. Interference
may be caused by individual offensive players (batter, on-deck batter, batterrunner,
runner), coaches, umpires, nongame personnel or spectators, by the
offensive team as a whole or by loose equipment that belongs to them.

(Note: no mention of requiring contact, BUT)

12.19.1.4.2 Merely running in front of the fielder or jumping over the
ball while proceeding to the next base is not interference, even
though it may be distracting to the fielder or screen her view of the
ball. The runner may not at any time unnecessarily wave her arms
or verbally distract the fielder.

(AND, in the event there was contact)

Note: If both players’ actions are appropriate to the situation and contact
could not be avoided, it is inadvertent contact and neither interference nor
obstruction.

In U-Trip I believe it was an out.

Sec 44. INTERFERENCE. Interference is an act which interferes with, obstructs,
impedes, hinders or confuses any fielder attempting to make a play.
A. Offensive interference is interference (physical or verbal) by the team at
bat, or when a runner creates malicious contact with any fielder with or
without the ball, in or out of the baseline; or when a coach physically
assists a runner during playing action.

I'm tired of cuttin' and pastin'. All the examples in the NCAA rules seem to put a lot of weight on there actually being contact. It won't make any difference, and I am just sick that my Ags lost, but, I sure thought they played a tough game. Just let it go at the end. Thinking about skipping work tomorrow afternoon, but like SWMBO says any time she wants me to do a chore and I'm watching a game,"That's what you have TiVo for." We are not playing this weekend (that always puts me in a funk), but the Super Regionals will make that more tolerable.

 

[Texarkana]

One last thought before I try and put this behind me and get some rest, If the SS just plays through the ball and takes out the BR, she's a lot more likely to get the call from what I read.

I want to understand it a little better, but if that happens to me next weekend, I'm going to be asking for the call just like Jo was.

 

[bobbyb]

DD got called interference similar to this but she never stopped running and there was no contact...just impeded path to the ball for second base. Head coach talked to ump and ump said...if she had of been a little faster or a little slower it wouldn't of been interference but it was interference.

I have to say that was interference and i couldn't believe how quick the discussion was... before the umps ran off field.

 

[EP Dad]

Interference. Clearly interference. I can't believe with three umpires on the field they didn't find a way to make the right call.

That's my emotion talking.

You can make a case for no interference.

Copied this from another site and it's from the rulebook.

12.19.1.4.2 Merely running in front of the fielder or jumping over the

ball while proceeding to the next base is not interference, even

though it may be distracting to the fielder or screen her view of the

ball. The runner may not at any time unnecessarily wave her arms
or verbally distract the fielder.

Appears the runner made a good play and the fielder made a bad play. The fielder should have been more aggressive after the ball then there likely would have been contact and interference would have been called.

 

[bobbyb]

Hopefully someone can post a short clip of that play.

 

[TheRogue]

No interference. No contact as made, and the runner did not purposely shield the fielder. As stated above, simply playing through the ball, the SS makes contact with the baserunner, and it's game over. We work on our fielders every now and then in these exact same situations to come through the ball and make contact with the runner....don't go out of your way to do so, but make sure if the runner is there, then make the contact. Don't leave it up to the umpire to make a iffy judgement call.