Interference? Or Wreck?

[WestMichBlue]

”Simply running in front of a fielder is not interference as long as the runner remains in full stride. The runner who hesitates to time their passing with the ball can be interference, as their intent has clearly become to distract the fielder, not advance to the next base.”

Again, you are bringing in “intent.” Are you saying that the runner is protected as long as they do nothing deliberate, or there is no contact? If so, then why do we have rules that non-contact distraction can be called interference?

” BTW, what does a "bad hop" have to do with a passing runner?”

Well, we are dealing with words, not video here so I am trying to describe a situation than anyone reading this could visualize. The ball is hit, you have the big hop; any decent fielder knows the second hop is not true. So they want to get it in the air, or short-hop it before it skids. But the runner is passing in front of them so they hesitate. That lost step allows the ball to land and skewer away and they were not able to make the play.

If I am reading you right, the defender must execute her playing regardless of any fear of getting hit. Get to the spot and field the ball! If she flinches or pulls up to avoid getting hit, that’s too bad. As long as the runner did nothing intentional, she is protected from interference.

Are there degrees of “hesitation?” What if the fielder totally stops? Say R1 at 3B, pop fly near coaches box. R1 is heading back to 3B, F5 is heading towards foul territory. They are heading at each other, face to face, F5 stops and ball drops to ground. If this is not interference, then are we saying that the fielder needs to initiate contact in order to get a call from the Blue?

WMB