[nickrego]

Varsity Playoff. I have the plate. R1, no outs.

This is a really big game between the two top teams in the league. Defense is down by 4 runs.

Batter hits a high bouncing grounder up the 1st base line. Ball is tracking parallel to the line, about 2 feet in fair territory.

Pitcher runs to field the ball. He jumps up in the air and catches the ball at the top of a high hop. He lands directly in the base path, right in front of the runner, with the ball.

The batter has no time to avoid contact, so he (in my opinion) instinctively crossed his arms in front of his body, and plows into the pitcher, who is attempting to tag him.

During contact, the ball comes loose, and ends up near the Pitcher's Mound. Pitcher goes down on his butt, runner staggers for a few steps, and then makes his way to tag 1st base.

During all this, I indicate a fair ball. My partner, who had moved in toward the play from B, calls the batter Safe.

As you can imagine, we had a major blowout with the defensive manager. I talked with my partner, and we both agreed that the pitcher fielded the ball outside the running path of the batter, so the batter did not interfere with the defense fielding the ball. That the pitcher stepped into the batters running path, at a point that did not give the batter the opportunity to avoid contact, so we did not have Intentional/Malicious Contact on the batter. So the runner was Safe.

We ran through all of this with the Defensive coach, but to no avail. I ended up telling him, that's the way it stands. Lets play ball.

Never heard a word out of the Offensive coach.

Then, I hear from the stands, "Hey Blue, don't you know the batter has to stay out of that running lane or he's out ? Why do you think they paint those lines there ? You are horrible !"