interference by 3rd base coach??

[ksadad]

PGF rules (NFHS)
Runner on second. No outs. Clean basehit to the outfield.
Ball thrown towards homeplate by outfielder. Third base coach vacates coach's box towards home plate and holds up the runner at third. Thrown ball was errant and well wide of home plate. Deflects off a fielder and then the third base coach. When ball secured by fielder, runners ended up at 2nd and 3rd base. No one scored.
Is this coach's interference with the penalty of runner closest to home is ruled out and the runner at second put back at first. Did this interfere with the defense's ability to "make a play"?

 

[Comp]

A base coach being hit by an errant throw is not interference.

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[ksadad]

Umpire referred me to this rule....

SECTION 6 THE RUNNER IS OUT A runner is out when:

ART. 16 . . . Any coach or member of the offensive team, other than a runner, interferes with a defensive player’s opportunity to make a play.

This includes, but is not limited to:

a. The coach near third base runs in the direction of home plate on or near the baseline while a fielder is attempting to make a play on a batted or thrown ball and thereby draws a throw to home plate.

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.

 

[ksadad]

And does this rule imply coach must be in coach's box if for the ball to remain live (see exception)

SECTION 5 COACHING

ART. 5 . . . Offensive team personnel, other than the base coach, shall not be near a base to which a runner is advancing or returning; nor shall anyone fail to vacate any area (including a coach's box) needed by a fielder in an attempt to put out a batter or runner.

PENALTY: (Art. 5) The ball is dead. The runner closest to home is out and all runners not out must return to the last base touched at the time of the interference.

EXCEPTION: If a thrown live ball accidentally touches a base coach in the coach's box, or a pitched or thrown ball touches an umpire, the ball is live and in play.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Umpire referred me to this rule....

SECTION 6 THE RUNNER IS OUT A runner is out when:

ART. 16 . . . Any coach or member of the offensive team, other than a runner, interferes with a defensive player’s opportunity to make a play. The defense was making a play ... they muffed it, not due to the base coach.

This includes, but is not limited to:

a. The coach near third base runs in the direction of home plate on or near the baseline while a fielder is attempting to make a play on a batted or thrown ball and thereby draws a throw to home plate. This refers to an attempt to “decoy” a runner ... the base coach did not run towards home nor did he draw a throw.

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. So far, no cause for a penalty ...

^In red.

 

[The Man In Blue]

And does this rule imply coach must be in coach's box if for the ball to remain live (see exception)

SECTION 5 COACHING

ART. 5 . . . Offensive team personnel, other than the base coach, shall not be near a base to which a runner is advancing or returning; nor shall anyone fail to vacate any area (including a coach's box) needed by a fielder in an attempt to put out a batter or runner. He is the base coach, he can be there. The area was not needed by the defense, so he didn’t fail to vacate. The ball deflected off a fielder, he didn’t go towards the play.

PENALTY: (Art. 5) The ball is dead. The runner closest to home is out and all runners not out must return to the last base touched at the time of the interference.

EXCEPTION: If a thrown live ball accidentally touches a base coach in the coach's box, or a pitched or thrown ball touches an umpire, the ball is live and in play. OK, this one I might give you since it does say “in the coach’s box”. But I don’t think I am calling this technicality unless the coach deliberately moved into (or refused to move out of) the play.

I’m guessing you are more fortunate than me if you still have chalk lines to gauge that by. It is rare that a coach’s box gets chalked around here. Heck, it is rare if we get the running lane marked.

Also ^in red.

 

[Gags]

What was the actual ruling? You mentioned that the ump directed you to a rule section - was interference actually called?

 

[CHSUmp97]

The base coach is allowed on the field. He/she is required to start out in the coach's box, but once the ball is put in play, he/she can vacate it to direct base runners. Not holding this coach accountable for getting hit by a crappy throw that is wide of the plate, deflects off a fielder, and then hits him/her. We cannot expect the coach to disappear.

A "play" has to be a legitimate opportunity to retire a runner. Kinda hard for the defense to make a play here with a bad throw that deflects off a fielder. If this was a good throw to home that would likely retire a runner trying to score, and the base coach is right on the baseline and gets hit, preventing the throw from making it to the catcher to tag the runner, that's a different story.

 

[ksadad]

Interference called by umpire.
"Ball deflected off of coach not in coach's box may have impeded defense's ability to make a play". Girl on third was ruled out. Batter-runner on second moved back to first.

 

[Comp]

Coach is not required to be in box and box has nothing to do with interference or not. The box only comes into play before the pitch is released.

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