Quote:
Originally posted by Gee
First, Bob, You can go to URC, message board, to Situations, to the thread, Runner hit by a batted ball. 5/7 to 5/10.
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Thanks. Here's the relevant play from FED:
8.4.2i Play: With R2 on second, BR hits toward second. The batted ball hits R2 while he is standing on second or while he is on his way to third. F4 and F6 (a) are playing deep behind the baseline or (b) F6 is playing in front of the baseline.
Now, I think this is substantially similar to the play that started this thread. Sure, it uses F6 instead of F5. And, the infield is in and the "normal" instead of the infield "normal" and the runner "back." Those differences shouldn't matter.
I think you'd agree that, under OBR, the runner is out in both cases (assuming the ball didn't pass "through" F6 -- which seems like a safe assumption in the case where R2 in on second).
So, here's the FED ruling:
Ruling:In (a), the ball is dead immediately. R2 is out and BR is awarded first base. In (b), the touching is ignored unless it is ruled intentional, and the ball remains alive because no other fielder had a chance to make a play on the batted ball. (5-1-if)
Note that in (a), the ruling is the same as in OBR -- the ball hadn't "passed" F6 under any definition. It's only under case (b) where there's a difference.
Basically, the OBR interp is that the ball must pass "through" a fielder before the runner is "protected" (some exceptions).
THe FED uses the "string" theory -- use a string to attach F3 to F4 to F6 to F5. If the ball passes the string, the runner is protected.
NCAA uses a rule similar to FED. Sorry, I don't have the exact referecne here.