You Make The Call!

[ump24]

This play recently took place at the NCAA level. I find it interesting because everyone involved in the game had a different oppinion on what to do. When I say everyone I am refering to (All 3 umpires, the visiting coach, and the home coach).

Top of the seventh inning with one out and runners on first and third. Visiting team is in the third base dugout. They are warming up pitchers in their bullpen which happens to be in foul territory down the left field line. There is no fence to protect them or separate them form the rest of the playing field. Therefore they have a player with a glove to help protect them from hard hit balls at them. Now the plot thickens!

The batter hits an absolute bullet down the third base line. The ball hits fair and then takes a hard hop right at the bullpen. The player protecting the bull pen occupants instinctively reaches up and fields the ball. Incidentally, had he not done so the ball was probably going to hit a pitcher square in the back. He did his job. Thus the argument then insues.

The runner on third scores just after this occurs. The runner on first is about to round second. The batter runner is full throttle towards first. U3 calls dead ball and OFFENSIVE INTERFERENCE, since it was the team batting whose "safety man" interfered with the ball. Furthermore, said "safety man" did so deliberately. His action had to be deliberate due to the fact that his sole job is to keep a ball from doing what it was about to do.

If the ball is not interfered with the play is definitely a double. Runner on third definitely scores. Runner on first definitely makes third possibly tries to score. Batter/runner probably has a stand-up double.

Here is the problem: What do you do with the runners and the batter? I don't want to tell you what we did with them until after I get a few responses. I will say though that no one was ejected and nobody lost their job over the decision.

[fborras]

definitely a Double....

[llblue]

Ok, if U3 ruled it was the offense who interfered, by extension, the defense gets an out?

It's an obstruction that is part of the playing field. Dead ball, place the runners where you think they would have obtained.

I've never had this play occur to me, although it very well could. Is there a precendence for this call?

I don't have any supporting materials in front of me but what do the sources say?

Alex

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by ump24
This play recently took place at the NCAA level. I find it interesting because everyone involved in the game had a different oppinion on what to do. When I say everyone I am refering to (All 3 umpires, the visiting coach, and the home coach).

Top of the seventh inning with one out and runners on first and third. Visiting team is in the third base dugout. They are warming up pitchers in their bullpen which happens to be in foul territory down the left field line. There is no fence to protect them or separate them form the rest of the playing field. Therefore they have a player with a glove to help protect them from hard hit balls at them. Now the plot thickens!

The batter hits an absolute bullet down the third base line. The ball hits fair and then takes a hard hop right at the bullpen. The player protecting the bull pen occupants instinctively reaches up and fields the ball. Incidentally, had he not done so the ball was probably going to hit a pitcher square in the back. He did his job. Thus the argument then insues.

The runner on third scores just after this occurs. The runner on first is about to round second. The batter runner is full throttle towards first. U3 calls dead ball and OFFENSIVE INTERFERENCE, since it was the team batting whose "safety man" interfered with the ball. Furthermore, said "safety man" did so deliberately. His action had to be deliberate due to the fact that his sole job is to keep a ball from doing what it was about to do.

If the ball is not interfered with the play is definitely a double. Runner on third definitely scores. Runner on first definitely makes third possibly tries to score. Batter/runner probably has a stand-up double.

Here is the problem: What do you do with the runners and the batter? I don't want to tell you what we did with them until after I get a few responses. I will say though that no one was ejected and nobody lost their job over the decision.

Interference by non-game personnel. 4-9.

Award whatever you think would have happened (outs, bases, etc.) In this case, it looks like BR to second, R1 to third, R2 scores.

[JJ]

Time for me to repectfully disagree, Bob. NCAA rule 4-9 speaks about Nongame Personnel Interference, and it outlines who Nongame Personnel are: anyone OTHER THAN players, coaches, or umpires. NCAA rule 5-3 says, "No offensive team memebers, EITHER IN OR OUT OF THE LINEUP, shall physically or verbally hinder, confuse or impede any defensive player who is attempting to make a play. PENALTY - The umpire shall call offensive interference and call out the runner on whom the play was attempted, or would have been attempted."

Did the offense interfere? Yes. Does it matter if it was intentional or not? No. In this case, the umpire should call an out - but who becomes the question. I'd call out the guy on third, and put the BR on 1st and the runner from 1st on second. Then I'd quickly circle the wagons, make sure my gun was loaded, signal my wife to start the car, and make a break for it!

A very similar situation was on the 2001 NCAA test, though the offensive team memeber's interference was not intentional. Is my answer right? I'm not sure, but I have rules in black and white to back it up. And the offensive team knows better than to interfere with a fair (in this case) batted ball.

See you tomorrow in Crystal Lake, Bob!