Quote:
Originally Posted by CecilOne
Without looking it up, isn't there a difference in the rules for a broken bat versus a full bat?
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Yes, there are different rules for a broken bat rather than a bat that is released carelessly by a batter. A broken bat, even if it interferes with a play, is not interference. If a carelessly released bat interferes with a fielder it is interference.
In b and c I agree with the warning for a carelessly released bat.
The question is does this interfere with play, and do we have interference on the play?
Here would be my rulings personally (NFHS):
a) We have nothing until the the ball enters dead ball territory and then we are awarding bases (R3 home, R2 third). The injury to the knee most likely will not result in killing the play, unless the player is somehow stabbed with the broken bat and is bleeding heavily. (Reference point Casebook 7-4-14 situation)
b) We have a carelessly released bat under rule 3-6-3. Again, unless the injury requires immediate medical attention we have play continuing until the ball goes into dead ball territory, at which time we award R3 home and B4 third base. We then issue a warning to the coach of B4 for a carelessly thrown bat. We then have the defensive coach coming out to argue that the thrown bat did interfere with the play because the pitcher should have been the backup to the catcher on the throw that went out of play, and had she not been injured the ball would not have gone out of play.
c) I should have made more clear. I was implying that again, it was a carelessly released bat, which came back injured the catcher.
This is the one play I'm not 100% sure unless I saw it happen. We have a variety of different possible calls on the play. Is F2 laying on home plate obstructing any runners? Do we have obstruction? Is F2 injured so seriously we need to kill the play? In that case we award the bases we feel the runners would have gained had the play not been killed. The question is, and the coach will come out to argue, that we have interference on the play because F2 would have been in a position to make a play on a runner coming home had she not been injured by the bat which was carelessly released.
If c was the result of the catcher being to close, and not a result of the batter carelessly releasing the bat we have nothing unless the batter somehow intentionally hit the catcher or the catcher is so seriously injured we must kill the play. This would not be catchers obstruction because the batter was not hindered in her attempt to hit the ball, since contact occurred after the ball was hit.