Contact with fielder

[ozzy6900]

Well you have 3 fielders trying for the ball. The umpire must decide who has the play on the ball. Now you have the batter trying to avoid one fielder and interferring with another fielder (what a mess).

At any other base, it could be just a train wreck but because this is B1 going to first so we have to add the running lane. Now, it sounds like B1 may have been past the 45' mark so now he has to stay in the running lane by rule. But B1 cannot do this because someone is making trying to catch the ball in the lane.

So here is where the umpire comes into play. If he decides that F2 had the play, B1 can abandon the running lane to allow F2 to make the play. Now it's just a train werck between B1 & F1. If the umpire decides that F1 or F3 had the play, then F2 has obstructed B1 and there will be an award. It all rests in the umpire who was there.