High School Playoff time in Illinois...
During the third inning, the bases are loaded, the runners are off on the pitch and the batter nubs one between the mound and third. Realizing that he doesn’t have a play at the plate, the third baseman fires one to first and it sails over his head and into a photographer and his equipment. He scrambles to get his gear out of the way but slows the player down in recovering the ball. The runners from second and third scored and the batter/runner went to second. The defensive coach argued that the photographer shouldn’t be on the field of play, since there was no designated media area established at the pregame meeting.
He insists that the ball should have been declared dead immediately because of fan interference. The offensive coach argued that he is obviously not a “fan” and that the ball is played like if it bounced off of a base coach. He insists that it is live and that runners advance at their own risk. The game was delayed for almost five minutes while the decision was made.

The crew decided that the ball was dead upon touching the “spectator”. They penalized from the time of the throw, giving everyone one base from where they were at the tie of the throw. The offensive coach went crazy when one of his runs was put back on third. He was restricted to the dugout for the remainder of the game, but his team went on to win.

Thank God, I was watching this game and not working it. What would you have done?

1) The coach is right that the photographer shouldn't have been on the field.

2) Given that he was, treat it as spectator interference -- the umpires decide what would have happened and allow that (not an automatic 1-base or 2-base award).

Media on the field should have been discussed during the pregame.

The home team usually marks off an area where the media can place themselves and said media area is dead ball territory.

Michael

Sounds like if this wasn't pre-gamed by the state association itself, they goofed. :o

First of all, I would not be in that situation. There would not be any media on the field during any of my games. Just to avoid this very situation. And if they were on the field, they would not be with me allowing it.

I think the umpires would have to decide what might have happen, like what Bob said.

Peace

This is not a state association issue. This is an umpire issue. The state (at least the one I live in) does not allow media on the field. The umpire should not have let this happen in the first place.

Peace

Preventive umpiring
 

Absolutely hard to imagine three umpires probably (at least we use 3 for playoffs) and none of them saw the guy in live ball territory.

In all of our playoff games (and I got to work all rounds this year) we had media guys trying to get on the field.

We put them in dead ball territory and that was easy.

An ounce of prevention goes a long way in these type of situations.

Thanks
David

Reference, please. I haven't seen anything like this from the state, but I might have missed something.

Gee, all of you have the hindsight to tell him about what you would have done. No media on the field etc.... pregame etc....... But cant you all answer what he asked? What would you have done?? Your all quick to say how you wouldnt have allowed it. I think were all in agreement on that. But what about the play itself?

You do not need a reference to know that the media is not allowed on the field. Coaches are not allowed on the field (except for specific purposes), why would the media be allowed?

Peace

Bob answered the question in the second post. Treat as spectator interference. He may not be a fan, but he is obviously a spectator. It's a dead ball the intstant it touches the spectator and umpire will decide how many bases to award each runner to nullify the interference. See 8-3-3e and 1-2-3 in FED. Offensive coach should have complained about media on the field before it happened if he was concerned about it. Of course he was not concerned until it affected play. If the spectator delayed the fielder long enough for the runner in question to score then it seems appropriate for him to return to 3B.

Because it's in the rules (media are allowed in designated media areas).

The next time it happens won't be the first.

I do not think the issue here is that this happen in a designated media area. This is a media personnel that was on the field during play. Not the same thing. And the IHSA does not set where there would be a designated area, during a regional. That would be the host or home school. And I am sure that would be an issue in the pregame or everyone would be informed before game time so they umpires, coaches and players would be aware this was dead ball territory. That is not what happen in this story. And that was my point.

Peace

I actually had a similar call the other night where the coach had kicked his bucket of baseballs over and left them there. he refused to pick them up. so when his team was at bat a ball went into that area where his baseballs were laying and struck the bucket and balls. I called dead ball, and awarded bases acordingly to the first throw of the ball, the coach did not like it but it was his own faught.

if people are not ready to determine what could happen in the course of a game then they are not ready to coach. Around my association we make all efforts to prevent accidencts like this by telling the ground rules of the field and anything that could happen.