Weird Play

[gruberted]

Hello there.

Saw this in a 11-12 year old league.

Runner of first batter hits a base hit to right. Runner at first goes to second and then heads to third. Ball is thrown in hits off the helmet of the runner and bounces off the fence which is still in play. A coach from the team that was batting picks up the ball and hands it to the third baseman.

Umpire calls the runner at third out for coaches interference.

What is the correct call?

Thanks,

Ted

[TussAgee11]

Sounds good to me.

[UmpJM]

Sounds bad to me.

JM

[w_sohl]

call dead ball immediately and send the runner back to his last legally aquired base?

[mick]

Originally Posted by gruberted

Hello there.

Saw this in a 11-12 year old league.

Runner of first batter hits a base hit to right. Runner at first goes to second and then heads to third. Ball is thrown in hits off the helmet of the runner and bounces off the fence which is still in play. A coach from the team that was batting picks up the ball and hands it to the third baseman.

Umpire calls the runner at third out for coaches interference.

What is the correct call?

Thanks,

Ted

At that level with volunteer coaches, if the play was over when the coach picked up the ball, I got nothin' but a reminder to the volunteer that he just touched a live ball.

[bob jenkins]

apply the "intentional interference by a person authorized to be on the field" rule and do what you think is right. Give the benefit of the doubt to the defense (since the offense erred.) That probably means putting the runners back, unless it was obvious to all that they would have advanced (e.g., BR tries for second on the throw and is one step from the base when the coach picks up the ball)

[BigTex]

If it is kickball, isn't the runner out?

[bossman72]

I posted a thread similar to this play last month. I just called time since nobody tried to advance and nobody was interfered with.

[UmpJM]

Sounds good to me.

JM