Quote:
Originally Posted by youngump
I checked on your cite and was going to slightly disagree with you probably based on us reading the play a little differently. It seems to me that once the F6 gloved the ball 8.7.4.J no longer applies. She's not fielding it after she controls it.
But other than crashing into the fielder, I can't find the rule that actually makes it illegal to interfere with a player attempting to complete a force or tag a runner. So it seems you could have 8.7.Q here, but that seems wrong since the runner didn't really have time to avoid the crash. If a runner were to grab the arm of the fielder to prevent a tag, would we really lack a rule to call the runner out?
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I agree, but the argument that will first come up will be interference and this is the rule that will negate that argument.
Obviously, the fielder who most likely receives the protection would be F5 since F5 is the first to get the glove on it and rule doesn't allow for an and/or protection.
That can only leave you with an unsportsmanlike conduct ruling and I don't see that. You cannot expect the player to run a slalom course as defenders each step up to field the loose ball. We would have to see it, but if I'm the runner, I know F6 isn't allowed to obstruct me so I'm heading toward 3B. If F5 gets me, he gets me, then all of a sudden F6 steps into what is most likely the base path and fields the deflected ball?
Unless I see something from the runner indicating it could have been avoided or softened through a timely effort, I've got a "no call".
I don't think it would be different in NFHS