Runner jumping over a ground ball - Interference?

[SCDad]

This is discussed frequently, even at the NCAA level. I think that a runner leaping over the ball can in fact stop the fielder dead in her tracks. But, the call comes at the discretion of the umpire. Some coaches tell the SS (for instance) to go ahead and make contact with the runner, to get the call.

Smart middle infielders charge the heck to balls hit near the base path, and runners advancing. The defensive player initiates the contact, or forces the runner to delay, and go behind. If the slightest contact is made, the runner is out almost always.

 

[coach james]

I started a thread last summer on this topic too... my runner on 2 was called out for jumping over a ball while heading to third... no interference took place because the short stop was covering third on the play. Bottom line was, we concluded that he wanted to end the slaughter. We were up big and our opponent was clearly out of their league. Its a judgement call by the blue and therefore cant be disputed.

 

[Rolling Hard]

Any defensive drills for practicing this situation?

 

[canyonjoe]

Any defensive drills for practicing this situation?

We used to run one where we started with fielders a first and 3rd and 2 lines at 2nd and SS. We we have to balls. We would hit to SS who would throw to first and follow the throw. After she throws we would hit to 2nd and the would do the same but go to 3rd with throw. Often the person following throw would have to jump or stop to not get hit (we didn't try and hit them ever). After The fielders on 1st and 3rd would them just go to the line on that side of the base. It was beautiful when it was run well. If it was a bad night it looked not so good but it did get them used to moving towards the target, fielding with a little Chaos going on and some decent cardio. Really nice in our indoor facility with not a lot of bad hops.

 

[inumpire]

I've seen it called inteference before and even had umpires try to explain to me that runners are out for doing this.

They were wrong!

There is an element of judgment that might come into play here. For instance, if the runner paused or timed it out so that they purposely passed directly in front of the fielder just as the ball gets to her, or in some effort to screen out the fielder, then you might get an interference call. But it would be interference because the runner impeded the fielder, not just because they "jumped over the ball".

Absent some "extra effort" by the runner to purposely mess with the fielder, if you just have a runner advancing straight to the next base, who just happens to jump over the ball to avoid it, well away from the fielder as you noted, I can't see any justification for an interference call.

Your link doesn’t work.....just a heads up

 

[inumpire]

We have had this issue to. Some umpires call it some dont. Wish it was consistant one way or the other.

How many times in a game does this happen? a it is strictly an umpire judgement call. I have worked with umpires that call it every tim, and some that don’t depending on the situation.

 

[inumpire]

This^^^^^^. It is a judgement call by the umpire and should not be an automatic out.

Correct

 

[daave266]

Smart middle infielders charge the heck to balls hit near the base path, and runners advancing. The defensive player initiates the contact, or forces the runner to delay, and go behind. If the slightest contact is made, the runner is out almost always.

My SS DD plays this way and will make contact if necessary to attempt and field the ball. Back in October during an exposure in AZ she did this, made contact with the runner and still didn't get the call. Hitter and runner heading home were safe.....

After the play, the HC said something out loud about it, but not so much to ask him, but the HU called time and went and talked to the FU to see what he saw. The FU said that he didn't see it that way and that the player had a play on the ball and she wasn't impeded. Total nonsense...but it was an exposure so not a huge issue.

After the game, as the two umps were walking I heard the HU tell the FU that he would have called her out.

Bigger issue is that it should have been the last out to get us out of the inning, and we would have won. Didn't work out that way.

I have seen way too much variability in this call. Being a dad of a MI, I think it could/should be called more often but I'm a bit biased! (lol)

 

[Comp]

Your link doesn’t work.....just a heads up

That happens when a 7 year old thread gets resurrected.