Interference?? NEED HELP ASAP!

[stevecatcher34]

ok here is the deal. I am a first year umpire and was umpiring a high school game because i knew the game.....so I thought. Here is the situation.

R2 advances on a line drive hit in the gap between F5 and F6. On the attempt for F5 to make the play, R2 runs into F5 and touches 3rd base without being tagged. Is this intereference on F5 or is it still a live ball and can advance?

[C'monBlue]

The fielder has a right to make the play unimpeded. Dead ball, call R2 out for interference, place BR on 1B.

[SanDiegoSteve]

It depends on if the umpire felt F5 had a chance to make a play on the ball. If he thinks F5 could not have gotten to the ball, he will not call interference. In this case, the umpire might have felt F6 had a play on the ball, but not F5. If this were the case, no interference.

It would not be "interference" on the fielder. It can be either interference on the runner, or obstruction on F5. If F5 had no play on the ball, and he impeded the progress of R2, it would be obstruction.

[Shmuelg]

Steve,

You stated that F5 was attempting to field the ball. In that case, he has the right of way, and the runner *must* get out of his way. In your scenario, there is no questio in my mind that "c'mon blue" is correct.

Dead ball - interference, R2 is out, BR is on 1B.

Shmuel

[mbyron]

A collision by itself tells you nothing. True, fielders are protected on a batted ball. But the OP does not tell us enough. For example:

Case 1: Looping line drive in the hole, 10 feet over F5's head. R2 is running on the pitch. F5 leaps in vain for the ball and comes down in R2's path, where they collide. Ruling: F5 could not have fielded the batted ball, and thus could not have been interfered with. This is obstruction: if, in the umpires judgment, R2 could have scored on the play, award home.

Case 2: Bloop in the gap behind F5 who is playing in, R2 running on the pitch. As F5 moves back to field the batted ball, he collides with R2. Ruling: Interference. Dead ball, R2 out, BR awarded 1B (if less than 2 outs), other runners return unless forced to advance by the award to BR.

Case 3: Hard line drive to LF. R2 steps back to 2B in case the ball is caught, but it gets through. He then takes off to 3B as F7 fields the ball. The throw to F5 is off line and pulls him off the bag into the infield, where he collides with R2, but fails to apply the tag before R2 reaches the base. Ruling: this is nothing, R2 safe, play on.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by stevecatcher34

R2 advances on a line drive hit in the gap between F5 and F6. On the attempt for F5 to make the play, R2 runs into F5 and touches 3rd base without being tagged. Is this intereference on F5 or is it still a live ball and can advance?

First, F5 cannot interfere, only obstruct.

If the collision between F5 and the runner took place as F5 was attempting to field the ball, call interference on the runner. He is out, the ball is dead and B/R gets first.