Quote:
Originally Posted by hbenson
ball hit to shortstop who tosses to second for force out. Runner from first is approximately 6-l0 feet from second when second baseman catches ball and turns to throw to first for attempted double play. Throw hits runner from first in mid thigh(no way for throw to reach first) and umpire calls batter out for runner interference. Correct Call?
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I hadn't read this thread until now, because the title didn't interest me. When I saw how many replies it had generated, I had to look.
Now I have always said (and I believe this was the point GarthB was making) that it is impossible to comment definitively regarding an interference (or obstruction) call without having been there.
Having said that, I can't believe the discussion that has taken place to this point.
Now, there is one material fact that hbenson has omitted from his description of the sitch: what rule code was in effect.
If the game is being played under OBR, this is most likely properly "ruled" E4, live ball, play the bounce.
If the game is being played under FED or NCAA this is
almost without a doubt a violation of the Force Play Slide Rule (as, I believe, LDUB was th first to point out), ball is dead, BR is out. If not, the FPSR has no meaning and doesn't really exist.
In the sitch posed by hbenson, the runner is six to ten feet from 2B at the time the pivot man catches the throw from the shortstop. This means he is a lot closer to 2B at the time he is hit by the throw - even the slowest runner will be within a body length of 2B.
This is what the NCAA FPSR says:
"...
a. On any force play, the runner must slide on the ground and in a direct
line between the two bases.
Exception—A runner need not slide directly into a base as long as the
runner slides or runs in a direction away from the fielder to avoid making
contact or altering the play of the fielder. ...
A.R.—If a runner goes into a base standing up and does not make contact or alter the play of the defensive player, interference shall not be called. ..."
So, in the original sitch, we have:
1. A force play
2. A forced runner, in near proximity to his "forced to" base who does not slide
3. An alteration of the play being attempted by the pivot man caused by the forced runner.
Sure sounds like an FPSR violation to me (if you're playing under FED or NCAA).
It might not be. hbenson didn't tell us whether the runner ran "...in a direction away from the fielder to avoid making contact or altering the play of the fielder...".
If he did, then you've got a whole lot of umpire judgement as to whether or not his effort was sufficient to avoid an FPSR violation. If I understand him correctly, I believe this was Garth's point.
Under OBR, on the other hand, there is no FPSR and the runner is explicitly excused from liability for interference if he is simply "continuing his advance", even if he has just been put out. So, unless he did something like stick out his leg to
intentionally interfere, it's live ball, play on. If the umpire judges that he did intentionally interfere (other than by continuing his advance), the ball is dead and the BR is out if the umpire also judges that the defense would have put him out absent the interference.
JM