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Old Mon Feb 18, 2019, 04:20pm
Manny A Manny A is offline
Stirrer of the Pot
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Lowcountry, SC
Posts: 2,380
The difference between the two rules boils down to the fact that a runner should not be held accountable to realize as she's running to a base that a batted ball was deflected in a different direction than when she originally saw the ball go off the bat.

Runner at first thinks the ball is heading behind her as it was batted toward F3, and has no clue that it deflected off F3 and is now going toward F4. F4 moves toward the ball that is rolling from F3 toward second base, and R1 crashes into her. That's not going to be interference on R1 unless he/she does something intentional.

So if the ball is not deflected, then J1 applies. If it is deflected, J4 now comes into play. I honestly don't understand why that's difficult to differentiate.

BTW, I think it's dumb that Fed treats a batted ball that deflects of F1 differently than if it deflects off any other fielder. Why hold the runner accountable on a ball he/she thought was going up the middle, and then gets deflected 90-degrees off F1 toward F4. It's nothing if R1 tangles with F4 unintentionally in every other sanction. But in NFHS, F4 is still protected. Go figure.
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