Interference and Force Out, Baseball Style

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

NCASAUmp made started a thread (see Interference and force out) on Softball Forum on Tue., Aug. 04, 2009, with the following post:

"Sitch: R1 on 3B, R2 on 1B, 2 outs. B4 hits a dribbler that touches the top of 1B. R2, thinking it's a foul ball, trots back to the ball, picks it up and tosses it to F3. The ball did not pass any infielder, nor was it touched by any infielder. R2 was not in contact with 1B when he picked up the ball. R1 had crossed the plate before R2 touched the ball.

There's no doubt that R2 is out. The question is: is this considered a force out? My instinct tells me, "no sh1t, Dave, do you even need to ask? O f course it is!" Yet something is nagging me in the back of my mind on this one."


The Softball thread is up to four pages and is causing some grinding of teeth because of the lack of an ASA rule that prevents the run from scoring. My opinion is that the run should not score in the softball game but my opinion is not important. I would like to start a discussion about this as a baseball play per NFHS, NCAA, and OBR.

Ladies and germs (oops, I mean gentlemen), let the discussion begin.

MTD, Sr.