Runner collides with umpire

[Tru_in_Blu]

Play: R1 on 1B with one out. B3 hits a ground ball to F5 who throws to F2 covering 2B. F5 then throws to F3 for a double play but the ball goes off the glove off F3 and rolls to the fence. B3 Now R2 tries to go to 2B. As they turn to run to 2B they bump into the umpire and consequently are called out at 2B in a very close play. The team at bat wants the call reversed because the umpire put their runner in jeopardy as they clearly would have been safe had they not bumped the umpire.

Ruling: The umpire’s ruling on the field is correct. The umpires are a part of the field and may be embarrassed for not getting out of the way, but they made the right call. Regardless if R2 would have clearly been safe had they not collided with the umpire has no bearing on the call. We only have two rules that spell out when you can have umpire interference. The first is when the umpire is hit with a batted ball and the second when the plate umpire interferes with the catcher’s throw to retire a stealing runner. Rule 8, Section 6F or Rule 8, Section 1E [7].