NFHS R8-S4-A1g(1): Running Lane Interference

[ilyazhito]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

As one who has never shied away from quoting NCAA Men's/Women's Bkb., NBA/WNBA, and FIBA Rules when discussing Plays involving NFHS Bkb. Rules when they were germane to the Play. I am flummoxed as to why you would reference the MiLB/MLB/OBR Rule in this discussion.

MTD, Sr.

The OBR rule is similar to the NFHS rule, except that OBR requires a quality throw. If OBR says that the lane is to prevent interference with the fielder taking the throw, and NFHS does not explicitly provide for something explicitly different, such as the provision that malicious contact always supersedes obstruction, then OBR principles can reasonably apply to this situation too. UmpireBible does a good job comparing NFHS rules to OBR rules, which is helpful, because there is no way to publicly access the NFHS rules.

On throws from 3rd base (where F5 is playing), the runner's lane is not likely to come into play, because the likelihood of the BR interfering with F3 taking the throw is low. There might be a different situation on a bunt, where F5 is approaching home to field the bunt and has a throwing angle that is restricted similar to the angle that the catcher has, but in most situations, the batter-runner will not interfere with F5's throwing angle to 1st base. The batter runner is more likely to interfere with F2 or F1, because the batter and the throw will be coming from the same direction and a similar angle.

The lane does not apply in reverse, because the rule on the runner's lane exists for 1 specific purpose: to allow the 1st baseman to take throws unobstructed by the batter-runner. The double first base, where adopted, exists for a similar reason, to avoid collisions at 1st base when the 1st baseman is trying to field the throw and the batter-runner is trying to reach the base at the same time. Once the batter-runner safely attains 1st base, the colored base becomes irrelevant.

Intereference by the batter-runner on a backwards throw from 1st base to home plate can be addressed by the existing rules, so there is no reason for the runner's lane to apply to throws FROM 1st base.