Running lane violation

[chapmaja]

I decided to watch the play again. The issue in play one is as much on the fielder as it is the runner. If you watch the fielder carefully, until the moment the ball arrives at her glove she is completely across first base. She is not bringing the other foot forward back towards the fair side of the base until the throw and runner are arriving at first base.

This is an intentional act in my opinion in an effort to get the batter-runner to slow done because first base is blocked. There is nowhere for the batter-runner to go running full speed except into the F3.

Also, F3 catches the ball with her glove about even with the foul line. Had her glove been out in front of her reaching for the throw two things happen. One, the glove is not contacted by the runner running at full speed to the base, and two, the catch is made prior to the runner getting to the base.

Her poor positioning on the play was as much the reason that this play happened as anything else.

I do agree though, the runner is NEVER in the running lane.

I will add one more thing to this discussion. This is a perfect example of why the double first base is so important and needs to be adopted for higher levels of softball. With a double first base this play doesn't happen and the potential injury associated with the play would not happen.

[Manny A]

Not sure when the video came out, but I have to say that at the 40-second mark you can see F3 is clearly in the BR's path without the ball as the BR is about 5 feet from the bag (the ball is just even with the BR's left shoulder. So obstruction should've been ruled.

The collision happened after F3 had the ball in her mitt. So I don't see where there would be any runner's lane violation here. The rule requires the BR to hinder the fielder's attempt to receive the thrown ball. F3 did receive it; she just didn't hold onto it afterward.

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by Manny A

Not sure when the video came out, but I have to say that at the 40-second mark you can see F3 is clearly in the BR's path without the ball as the BR is about 5 feet from the bag (the ball is just even with the BR's left shoulder. So obstruction should've been ruled.

The collision happened after F3 had the ball in her mitt. So I don't see where there would be any runner's lane violation here. The rule requires the BR to hinder the fielder's attempt to receive the thrown ball. F3 did receive it; she just didn't hold onto it afterward.

I can answer the question as to when. This game was played on March 23rd, 2018, and resulted in a 2-1 Washington win in 8 innings. This play happened in the top of the 8th, when Arizona got two on before a strikeout ended the inning. Washington's leadoff in the 8th homered to end the game.

[jmkupka]

If the runner is in the running lane, she wont be called for INT (unless she intentionally interferes), regardless of the quality of the throw or positioning of the fielder.

If she's out of the lane, she is liable to be called for INT if the ball COULD have been caught if not for her presence outside the RL, regardless of the throw.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by chapmaja

I decided to watch the play again. The issue in play one is as much on the fielder as it is the runner. If you watch the fielder carefully, until the moment the ball arrives at her glove she is completely across first base. She is not bringing the other foot forward back towards the fair side of the base until the throw and runner are arriving at first base.

This is an intentional act in my opinion in an effort to get the batter-runner to slow done because first base is blocked. There is nowhere for the batter-runner to go running full speed except into the F3.

Also, F3 catches the ball with her glove about even with the foul line. Had her glove been out in front of her reaching for the throw two things happen. One, the glove is not contacted by the runner running at full speed to the base, and two, the catch is made prior to the runner getting to the base.

Her poor positioning on the play was as much the reason that this play happened as anything else.

She did have her glove in the position you recommend when she made a target for the throw. However, the throw was off, and she had to move her glove into the position you fault in order to catch the ball. So the collision was the fault of the fielding team, but not the fault of F3 personally.