Interference?

[Shawn]

I’ve called this as a umpire and it happened in a game we played.

Poorly hit ball first base line. The catcher beats the hitter out of the box and is going for the ball. As this happens the catcher gets in the way of the runner. Slowing down the runner as she goes for the ball and throws to first.

The umpires meet and discuss. The field umpire wants to call out the home umpire goes against that ruling and calls safe for interference.

In my reasoning, the fielder has a right to field the ball and there is no interference. Same as between the bases, runner must not interfere with the fielder.

 

[Greatdaytobeawildcat]

A little hard to follow exactly what's happening, as you use the word interference for what seems like might be potential obstruction by the catcher. The batter-runner would interfere, the catcher would obstruct.

But de-coding, sounds like it probably should be nothing, assuming the catcher is the protected fielder, and there was no entanglement in the vicinity of the box (usually nothing), and the batter runner didn't interfere with the catcher.

 

[Shawn]

My mistake, I meant obstruction. Mixing my interference and obstruction. lolstrike three

 

[mmeece]

I’ve called this as a umpire and it happened in a game we played.

Poorly hit ball first base line. The catcher beats the hitter out of the box and is going for the ball. As this happens the catcher gets in the way of the runner. Slowing down the runner as she goes for the ball and throws to first.

The umpires meet and discuss. The field umpire wants to call out the home umpire goes against that ruling and calls safe for interference.

In my reasoning, the fielder has a right to field the ball and there is no interference. Same as between the bases, runner must not interfere with the fielder.

As always, had to be there type of call, but just a couple of thoughts.
-Did the catcher ultimately make a play on the ball? If another fielder made the play then the catcher would not be protected and I would probably call obstruction (unless it was just obvious that the batter completely took the catcher out of the play).I have seen similar plays in which the catcher jumps out to move towards the ball and obstructs the batter, but then watches 3B or P make the play.
-Did the batter hinder/delay the catcher from making the play or just wait on the catcher to clear her path? If the batter just waited on the catcher to clear then obviously there is no interference.

 

[marriard]

I’ve called this as a umpire and it happened in a game we played.

Poorly hit ball first base line. The catcher beats the hitter out of the box and is going for the ball. As this happens the catcher gets in the way of the runner. Slowing down the runner as she goes for the ball and throws to first.

The umpires meet and discuss. The field umpire wants to call out the home umpire goes against that ruling and calls safe for interference.

In my reasoning, the fielder has a right to field the ball and there is no interference. Same as between the bases, runner must not interfere with the fielder.

If I am reading it right and it happened as described, the catcher is protected as the fielder who is fielding the batted ball.
The batter-runner is out. It doesn't sound like she interfered with the catcher's play of the ball so it is just a regular out.

If she did interfere with the catcher making the play, you can call interference and then the batter-runner is out, and other runners have to return to the last base touched at the time of the interference.

 

[EdLovrich]

Which rule set, NCAA and NFHS both state Note: If both players’ actions are appropriate to the situation and contact could not be avoided, it is incidental contact and neither interference nor obstruction.

I cannot find similar similar wording in rule or case book for USA.

 

[mmeece]

Which rule set, NCAA and NFHS both state Note: If both players’ actions are appropriate to the situation and contact could not be avoided, it is incidental contact and neither interference nor obstruction.

I cannot find similar similar wording in rule or case book for USA.

Do you happen to have the citation on those? Somehow I've missed that.

 

[MT 73]

Interference.
Dead ball.
Runner out.
Other runners return to the last base touched before the interference.