Thread: hands up
View Single Post
  #3 (permalink)  
Old Wed Jun 19, 2024, 08:09pm
Robert Goodman Robert Goodman is offline
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,898
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tru_in_Blu View Post
Not many people run with arms/hands extended over their heads so this could be judged as an attempt to distract F2.

Many players who slide into a base may have arms/hands raised above their heads. This may be more of a natural act to avoid getting hands caught under their bodies or fielder's bodies.

USA SB has conflicting terminology in the Rules Supplement 33.

Interference may be in the form of physical contact, verbal distraction, visual distraction, or any type of distraction that hinders a fielder in the execution of a play.

Merely running in front of a batted ball or jumping over a batted ball is not interference, even if it may be distracting to the fielder.

So how are we supposed to make heads or tails of that.

Regarding the OP, if the defense actually executes the force at home, I'd let it go. If the throw hits the runner extended arms or F2 whiffs on the catch, I might have an INT call.

Your mileage may vary.
If that's the rule, this seems like an easy enough call. What other reason would the base runner have to act like that? If you forbid them from doing that, are you depriving them of anything legitimate and useful in the game?

Therefore if you had any reason to suspect the action adversely affected the play, you have all the justification you'd need to call it interference.
Reply With Quote