[Spence]

Groundball hit up the middle. Deflects off of F1. Goes towards R1 who is heading to 2nd base and it hits R1.

I was told he is automatically out since F1 is not considered an infielder. Isn't that only true for non-deflected balls? Does that goes away when F1 is the defender who deflects it?


If my understanding is correct, what are we looking for to determine what to do when the ball hits R1? I've read some different interps/debates online. It seems to center around what the next defender is doing when the ball hits R1.

Thanks