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-   -   Understanding an interference rule (https://forum.officiating.com/softball/104386-understanding-interference-rule.html)

CecilOne Thu Feb 14, 2019 06:38pm

Understanding an interference rule
 
This is just for understanding, although if not understood, maybe concern on how to call a play and how to teach.
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Play: (Fast Pitch) With less than two outs and 1B is unoccupied. B2 swings and misses strike three. F2 misses the ball and it bounds off the catcher and under the feet of B2 on their way to 1B. B2 unintentionally kicks the ball when out of the batter's box. What is the call?

Ruling: If the umpire judged that the kicking of the ball by B2 impeded, hindered or confused F2 or F3 making a play we have interference with a dropped third strike. The ball is dead and B2 is out. Rule 8, Section 2, Article F [6].
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I understand that the rule item 6 says “with a dropped strike”, but I don’t get why that is different than items 3 and 4.

The Ruling says interference if the contact with the ball “impeded, hindered or confused F2 or F3”; which implies that the BR has to interfere with a fielder, not just the ball, similar to item 2.
Why do items 3 and 6 only say “ball” when they mean “ball and fielder”?

Is “unintentionally” in the play just to force thinking, or because it was copied from an old play; or does this particular case treat intent differently?

Tru_in_Blu Thu Feb 14, 2019 10:47pm

Is “unintentionally” in the play just to force thinking, or because it was copied from an old play; or does this particular case treat intent differently?

It might be there as a red herring. Wasn't it a few years back that the book removed references to "unintentional"? Then it didn't matter if "it" was intentional or unintentional, it was still interference.

I think there's only a couple of instances now where an umpire would have to judge if the player did something intentionally. One example is if a runner is hit by a batted ball while in contact with a base. What's the other one or two?

IRISHMAFIA Fri Feb 15, 2019 11:09pm

Has anyone else noticed how many INT plays have drawn out the word "intentional" in many discussions as something that is no longer included in the rules after decades of working well in the game of softball?


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