First Base Coach

[johnnyg08]

Originally Posted by tibear

I was pretty sure I was safe with not awarding bases. I was wondering if I should have called time. I know that if a base coach inadvertantly gets hits by a thrown ball, it is play on. However, just wondering what the rule is with regards to deliberate interference.

It didn't happen last night, but what would have happened if R2 tried to run home because of an assumed base award and the defense was able to tag him between 3rd and home.

Even bigger question, how would you score the out: F4-offensive coach-F1-F2.

You can't keep the ball live if you're giving base awards...runners have to follow the touch provisions on the bases, but the defense can't make a play on a runner that's being awarded a base...if this is deliberate interference, the play is dead right now.

[JRutledge]

Why is this not considered interference and someone called out? This was a deliberate act prevented the defense from making a play on the ball.

Peace

[johnnyg08]

I see what you're saying JRutledge...but I disagree...who are you going to call out on this play?? you can't make up rules...

[JRutledge]

First of all we can rule on anything not specifically covered in the rulebook. Secondly, if a coach purposely interfered with a live ball, I am not going to just kill the ball. I am going to penalize their team. I am going to likely get an out on a runner that was involved in the play or get the runner closest to home. Now unless you can show me a specific application in FED or NCAA that is what I am going to do (I do not care about OBR, I do not work games under those rules). I just do not think it is right to just let everyone stay safe for a deliberate act by an offensive coach.

Peace

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

First of all we can rule on anything not specifically covered in the rulebook. Secondly, if a coach purposely interfered with a live ball, I am not going to just kill the ball. I am going to penalize their team. I am going to likely get an out on a runner that was involved in the play or get the runner closest to home. Now unless you can show me a specific application in FED or NCAA that is what I am going to do (I do not care about OBR, I do not work games under those rules). I just do not think it is right to just let everyone stay safe for a deliberate act by an offensive coach.

Peace

Interfering with a live ball is not necessarily interfering with a play on a runner.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by mcrowder

Interfering with a live ball is not necessarily interfering with a play on a runner.

I did not say it was. But you have a coach that purposely changed the direction of a live ball. I am telling what I would do, if you want everyone to be safe that is your right to do that. If the rules committees want a specific application, then they should list a penalty or remedy for the situation. All the rules say in FED (I will have to look up NCAA) is a coach cannot purposely interfere with a fair ball on purpose.

Peace

[SanDiegoSteve]

I don't remember any specific rule set mentioned in the OP. Tibear can fill us in on what type of game this was. I usually figure OBR unless stated otherwise. I really doubt this was an NCAA game.

My feeling is that the offense was punished enough by not getting a base award that they otherwise would have. R2 could not advance past 3rd base, and the BR had to stay at first. Offense punished.

[tibear]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Why is this not considered interference and someone called out? This was a deliberate act prevented the defense from making a play on the ball.

Peace

Both runners had already touched their respective bases by the time the coach touched the ball, R2 was running on the pitch and it would have been bang-bang at first if the ball had been caught. Who would you have called out?

[johnnyg08]

doesn't matter where the runner was when the ball became dead...bases in this sitch are awarded (might be awarded) from the time of throw by the infielder...which is defined as being where the runner was when the infielder (in this case) released the ball from his hand. I'm pretty sure on this...

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

doesn't matter where the runner was when the ball became dead...bases in this sitch are awarded (might be awarded) from the time of throw by the infielder...which is defined as being where the runner was when the infielder (in this case) released the ball from his hand. I'm pretty sure on this...

I'm pretty sure you are wrong. The award on a ball going out of play on the first play by an infielder is 2 bases from the runner's position at the Time of the Pitch, not the throw. If the ball had gone out of play, R2 would have been awarded home, and the BR awarded 2nd.

Tibear was correct in not awarding any extra bases because of the buffoonery of the first base coach.

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

doesn't matter where the runner was when the ball became dead...bases in this sitch are awarded (might be awarded) from the time of throw by the infielder...which is defined as being where the runner was when the infielder (in this case) released the ball from his hand. I'm pretty sure on this...

Johnny ... that's twice - why do you think there should (or even might) be any awards made here?

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Why is this not considered interference and someone called out? This was a deliberate act prevented the defense from making a play on the ball.

Peace

It can be, if there was a potential play to be interfered with... like I said, he's lucky to not have an out called on this. But if there's no play to be interfered with, it's just a dead ball. (For example, say we have an F9 in place to stop the overthrow, and we have a runner still advancing --- I can see an out here. But with a "normal" overthrow of first, the interference did not likely prevent a play.