interference/obs

[jumpmaster]

Originally posted by scyguy
8-4-2c states "immediate act of making a play". Do we have a gage on when this is? Does the ball have to be a given distance from the fielder? In my original situation B, could we call runner out and allow ball to remain alive by applying this rule? If not, then at what point is the play immediate? When the ball is five feet away?

Also, in the rundown situation, does 8-4-2c fit. Runner is out, ball is alive. What does it mean by saying "legally attempt"?

bottom line is you are going to have to interpret the situation as it happens. Malicious? Intentional? Trying to avoid? It seems, however, that there is a very fine line between trying to avoid and intentional.

scyguy - let me give you a bit of advice. Purchase the book "Baseball Rules Differences" by Carl Childress, who is also the editor in chief for the paid portion of this site. That book is well worth the $ and helps for those areas where FED just isn't clear.

Info as pulled from the 2005 BRD:
OBR official interp from Mike Fitzpatrick, director of PBUC on 11/8/01 - "The definition of 'act of fielding the ball' is purely umpire judgement, but the minor league guideline is the distance from the skin of the cutout at home to the plate, or about 13 feet on a properly designed field"

NCAA official interp from Dave Yeast, director of NCAA umpires in San Diego Jan 4/5, 2003 - While a fielder may not block the base without the ball, a fielder may move into the path of a runner if he must do so to make a play, i.e., glove a throw.

NCAA - obstruction is the act of any fielder who, "clearly without possession of the ball, " blocks "the base (plate) or base line and impedes progress of any runner.

FED (aka the crack shack) - ...any fielder may block the base if a play is imminent.

Because FEDlandia does not offer any type of definition of "imminent" My association enforces as per PBUC. Ultimately you have to use your judgement.

[DG]

I checked Bob's math and he was very close. A 68 MPH throw would travel 10 feet in 0.1 second. That darn sure sounds like imminent, as far as the catcher blocking the plate while receiving a throw that is imminent. As for the original questions, repeated below.

a) catcher moves up 3rd base line to catch ball while runner approaches home. Ball is approx 10 feet from catcher when contact occurs. Catcher is moving toward ball at the time of impact.
b) same situation but in this case catcher is not moving at time of impact (standing in the baseline) but is up the third base line approx 4-5 feet from home

In a, the catcher is 10 feet up the line to catch the ball. Unless the runner makes some kind of move that looks intentional then I have a train wreck, and no call.

In b, the the only difference from a is that he has already arrived at the spot he needs to be in to catch the ball (ie not moving). If the situation is really the same, ie he is up the line to catch the ball, and it is 10 feet from him, then I have the same train wreck, and the same no call.

This dicussion is about plays at the plate and would not apply to runners who run into fielders who have a chance at fielding a ball. A SS could be set to field a ground ball that could be 30 feet away and if he is bumped by a runner I have interference.

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by DG
I checked Bob's math and he was very close.

Thanks. I passed algebra in the 8th grade. Although it's been almost 35 years since then, I still remember much of the basics.

[largeone59]

in all situations (a), (b), and (c), would the runner be guilty of the "slide or avoid" rule and be called out? (Ref. FED 8-4-2b)

[Edited by largeone59 on Mar 14th, 2005 at 07:55 PM]

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by largeone59
in all situations (a), (b), and (c), would the runner be guilty of the "slide or avoid" rule and be called out? (Ref. FED 8-4-2b)

[Edited by largeone59 on Mar 14th, 2005 at 07:55 PM]

Probably not. It's more likely in (b) than in the other situations. Note that the rule is not "slide or avoid" it's "slide legally or legally attempt to avoid"