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.