Batter interference, malicious contact or both?

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by klo376

Had a situation the other night would like some input. NFHS rules. Top 4, score 0-4 runners on the corners, no outs, 1-1 count right handed batter and the pitch goes past the catcher half way to the back stop. Catcher retrieves the ball as the runners are attempting to advance. Catcher looks to plate for pitcher who is not there then decides to run toward runner coming in from third. Batter looks over his left shoulder then finally steps out of the box into the catchers path and lowers a shoulder (coach claims that his 110 lb batter realized he was about to get run over and braced for contact). Catcher actually does make it through the batter and ends up actually making the tag also.

I called the batter out and ejected for malicious contact according to rule3-3-1-n. The play was dead @ the malicious contact therefore no tag on the runner from third (at least by rule). My assignor and I disagree on the next part of my call because I interpret requiring the ball to be dead before the play was made on the runner as a "movement which hinders actions at home plate or the catchers ability to make a play on a runner" (Rule 7-3-5-c). In the end I ruled the batter out and ejected for malicious contact and the runner out for batter interference for a runner coming home with less than 2 outs.

Any thoughts?

My experience has always been when a player is trying to defend himself, he will brace up for the collision. Putting the shoulder down and leaning into the collision (even though you didn't state the latter, I'm sure that's what transpired) is pretty much MC.

When the coach comes to you claiming his player was defending, my description above is how I explain the difference between "defending" & MC to the coach.

As far as the rule, if you rule interference on the batter with less than 2 out, "we don't want that batter coming back to the plate", so yes, he is out and R3 goes back to 3rd on the dead ball. The call of MC is yours and yours alone because it is a HTBT.