Just to be sure

[greymule]

Please confirm (or deny) that my interpetation is correct on a couple of plays.

OBR.

PLAY #1: One out, Abel on 3B, off with the pitch on a suicide squeeze. F3 charges when he sees Baker square to bunt. Baker bunts and pops the ball down the 1B line. F3, still running hard, reaches across the 1B line into Baker's path to catch the ball. As Abel crosses the plate, Baker runs into F3's arm about 25 feet from home, preventing F3 from making the catch.

I call the obvious interference, but I believe that it was accidental.

I would call Baker out and send Abel back to 3B (even though, with the catch, F3 would have had an easy out at 3B on the appeal).

Correct?

(I don't do Fed, but is the rule the same?)

PLAY #2: Same situation, except that after Baker and F3 collide and I call interference, F3 recovers and makes the catch anyway. F3 then runs to the plate, tags Abel, and appeals to me that Abel left 3B too soon.

The ball was dead the moment I called interference. I would have to disallow the appeal and send Abel back to 3B.

Right?

[bob jenkins]

OBR: BR out, R3 returns
NCAA: BR and R3 out
FED: BR and R3 out

[greymule]

Thanks, Bob. I was right about OBR. Interesting that Fed and NCAA do not follow OBR in this.

[mbyron]

For FED, see 8.4.2E. The sitch is not identical, but it's close. You have to judge that a double play was likely (possible? probable?); otherwise, send R3 back.