interference/obs

[jicecone]

Originally posted by scyguy
Had a play last year in quarters of district HS tourn. I am the BU, R3 comes down line toward home, catcher zips ball to 3B and gets runner in rundown. I communicate with PU that I have 3B side, he stays with home side. R3 is advancing toward home, 3B tosses ball toward catcher. R3 dives head first toward the infield side to try and get around catcher. Contact occurs about the time the ball gets to the catcher. Right shoulder of R3 hits catcher with enough force to put catcher on his tail. Ball comes loose. Catcher hits his head on field and is down. Blood is visible on back of head.

Now, PU kills it and calls the runner out and ejects him for malicious contact. From where I was standing, I felt that the runner was trying to avoid contact and get around the catcher. He made his call, maybe he saw something that I did not see. Whatever the case, my immediate focus was keeping the 3B coach from my partner.

Now, according to what I am reading on this thread, this is a no call situation. Contact by runner was not intentional. Correct?

"Trying to avoid contact" and actually avoiding, can be to different things.

I'm sure it was one of these had to be there situations however, it does'nt seem as if this player was trying hard enough. I would have to error on the side of safety for this one. Sometimes you got to go with your gut feelings.
Which just might save you problems latter in the game , for not calling it.

For this one , intent is not the decideing factor.