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Originally Posted by JPaco54
I appreciate your insight and it is one of those HTBT moments. It was a tough call since the runner tried to avoid contact, but the BU judged that F4 pulled up due to avoid collision and I agreed.
What about this statement - Giving Way or Giving Up by the defense on the play therefore no interference. Have any of you heard of this? Thanks!
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R1 tries to avoid fielder, stops, stutters then tries to move toward infield grass but F4 to avoid collision pulls up on the ball and ball goes thru his legs. BU calls interference on runner
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You said it yourself R1 tried to avoid fielder. In fact you used the word STOPS. I realize as with many of these OP's we WHTBT but if the runner STOPS then I have a heard time ruling interference.
The reason you do not need Contact concerning interference is because it's possible for the runner to SCREEN the fielder. On a batted ball we as umpires decide which player we are going to protect and that protection lasts up until the follow through of the ball. However, we must also judge that the runner in fact interfered.
The runner stopped and as mentioned I have a hard time ruling interference when a runner stops unless he STOPS to screen the fielder and makes no effort to avoid the fielder. Contact is not a requirement for interference but in this case I think it does.
Pete Booth