Three Foot Running Lane

[Jim Porter]

Originally posted by batterup
Doing an unlimited age group game under OBR. There's a ground ball up the first baseline. The pitcher picks it up about 10 feet short of the 45 foot line near the line. He hurriedly wheels and throws and hits the runner about 10 feet from first in the left shoulder. The left foot of the runner was in fair territory but the thrown ball looked like it was obviously offline and going 10-15 feet to the right of the first baseman. Under rule 6.05k, would the errant throw nullify interference and the runner would not be out?

Whether in or out of the running lane, the offense should never be penalized for an errant throw. The throw has got to have a reasonable chance of putting out the batter-runner.

Otherwise, it would be target practice out there on any batter-runner out of the lane. Just because a batter-runner is out of the lane does not give the defense license to throw the ball at the BR, rather than first base.

You simply cannot have interference if there was no play to be interfered with. Since the throw was errant, there was obviously no play on the BR at first - no interference.

The ball is alive and in play.