[DaveASA/FED]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

I'm not so certain I agree with Mike on this one. Let's assume that there would have been NO chance of the defense retiring R1. It sounds to me that the defense was still able to execute their play, which was making the catch. So where's the INT? The ball was caught, the BR is out, and R1 still made it safely back to base.

If the defense would have had a chance to somehow retire R1 as well (say, for instance... F1 was covering 1B, and the contact caused F3 to stumble and not be able to make a throw), then yes, I would have INT, as R1 hindered F3's ability to make a play.

Perhaps the better question to ask would be: at what point do we kill this play? At the bump? Or give it a moment to see what happens? We've frequently been told that we're not killing the play soon enough on an INT call, but we also hear that we're sometimes making the calls too soon and should slow down.

I say that in this specific situation, let the play unfold and see if the defense is actually prevented from executing a play on a batter-runner or runner.

I'm afraid I have to agree with Mike on this one. I do agree you have to slow down the situation and make sure you see the play and that you process the actions but once that runner hindered or impeded that fielder you have INT. So the ball is dead at the moment that the contact was made (or it was dead then even if you processed the play in your mind for a second or two then called it) and all actions after that don't matter. INT is an immediant dead ball, we can't let the play run it's course and see what happens and then rule on it.....that's what a delayed dead ball is (like OBS) but INT is an immmediant dead ball. Once you see it call it and the play was dead at the moment the infraction occurred.