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I've stayed out of this so far 'cause it has been an ASA ruling but:
Calling it catcher's interference is a baseball thing, OBR rules to be correct. It is the only time that the defense may "interfer". Fed baseball and all softball codes I'm aware of call it catcher's obstruction.
Martin's theory makes sense, and would be the proper interpertation in Fed softball, USSSA softball, Pony softball, and both baseball codes.(IMO)
When multiple infractions occcur on the same play, you generally peanalize the first infraction first. If that penalty negates folowing action on the same play, the secondary infraction would be disregarded. If the first penalty does not negate following actions, then you peanalize in the order the infractions occured. If a second infraction negates folowing actions, then again you go no futher, and so forth.
In the sitch at hand, only if the interference included "malicious" or "un-sportsman like" contact on F6 would the offense be peanalized under the codes I listed.
Did that confuse everbody? If not, let me tell you the story of a baseball game in which on one play I had a "catcher's balk", my partner had a pitcher's balk, and then I had catcher's interference (OBR rules), in that order, with the bases juced and a saftey squeze on!!!
Roger Greene
Post script:
I may have confused some with this post. My appology. Fed 8-4-3b has an execption to the general rule as I pointed out below. It would apply if there was an obsruction by a fielder, but IMO would not apply to catcher's obstruction.
My interpertation here only applys to the sitch in which we have catcher's obstruction followed by a runner interfering with the delayed dead ball play.
Roger
[Edited by Roger Greene on Jan 30th, 2003 at 06:43 PM]
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