On any batted ball at most, 1 defender can be protected at a time. If two or more fielders are going after a batted ball, the umpire must judge which player has the best chanve to field the ball and make a play. That player is the protected player. If a runner tangles with a protected player, then you have interference. If the runner tangles with another player then you have obstruction. Unfortunately, neither the runner nor the defenders know who the umpire has deemed to be the protected player until a call is made.
It should also be noted that the protection can shift from one player to another as long as the umpire judges that a play is possible. Consider this situation. R1 on 1st, F3 is set up right in the baseline between 1st and 2nd. B2 hits a hot grounder just to F3's right. If R1 collides with F3, you have obvious interference (despite the screams of obstruction coming from the 1st base coach
), but the nimble-footed R1 deftly side steps and goes behind F3, so all is well, but wait ... the ball tips off of F3's glove and heads in the direction of F4 who is charging toward the ball. Unfortunately our nimble-footed R1 is so relieved to have avoided interfering with F3, that she doesn't see F4 coming in and plows into her. Whap, bang, don't you know it, another interference call on R1 (as long as the umpire believed that F4 had a chance to make an out on the play).
SamC
[Edited by SamNVa on May 13th, 2003 at 11:29 AM]