Interference after being safe

[rafking]

Two situations below in which some might say I could have called interference, but I did not. I hope I can explain them clearly. Fed rules. I maybe stuck on 8-6-13. "...runner causes illegal contact and alters the actions of the fielder in the immediate act of making a play on her."

1. R1 on 1st; R2 on 2nd. BR hits a grounder up the middle to center field. Center fielder throws to F6 for a possible force on R1 at second. R1 does not slide. Ball arrives late for an easy safe call. R1 collides into F6 as her momentum carries her. F6 ends up on the ground with ball rolling out of glove. R2 is on third now, but does not attempt to come home to my surprise. The play ends. My thoughts: R1 clearly interferred with F6, but F6 had no play anywhere, so I did not call it based on "she did not interfere with a fielder making a play". The play at second was over and all other runners were standing on a base and not moving. I guess if R2 would have tried for home, then I would have called something.

2. Very same situation on a play at home. Bases loaded and a grounder to the infield. Runner on third coming home, beats the throw easily, no slide. Catcher is set up on first base side of the plate. Momentum carries her into catcher and knocks her to the ground. No runners advance further and they remain on their base. Case 8.6.18 helps me with this. It says that run does score as interference occurred after the run, so can not call her out. Then I can only call another runner out if the interference prevented the catcher from making another play. There was no play to make.

Thoughts?

-Rick

[TexBlue]

I'm not sure if I have a good picture of what happened, but if the girls momentum carried her into the defensive player both times, then you have a "train wreck" and no call to be made.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by TexBlue
I'm not sure if I have a good picture of what happened, but if the girls momentum carried her into the defensive player both times, then you have a "train wreck" and no call to be made.

Rick,

Just because the runner is safe does not make them immune from not affecting other plays.

In the first scenario, for example, if F6 being knocked to the ground permitted runners to advanced and I as the umpire believed the "wreck" prevented the defense from making an out, then there is inteference.

[chuck chopper]

Rick, from what you described neither case had interference as no runners attempted to advance after the "wreck". So you two no calls seem correct. I don't know Federated rules, but ASA does not have a must slide rule and hopefully never will. But as already mentioned it seems you would have had to call interference in both cases should those other runners tried for another base. Runners who don't seem to have the ability to slide just waltz right on in and don't seem to think about the contact with the fielder.

[greymule]

rafking, you described two all-too-common common plays in girls' FP. I see them several times a week. They come in standing up when a slide would get them there quicker, and they collide with a fielder at a level below that of "crash." Often they even slow down—increasing their chances to be out—and collide at the "bump" level. (Your plays described the fielder being knocked down, so the contact was evidently more significant.)

I'll bet that in the first play you describe, the fielder stood upright with both feet planted directly on the base, not with one foot on the bag and her arms and body stretched out to catch the throw.

In my experience, although the runners often don't do what they should, the fielders practically invite a collision.

[rafking]

Thanks all for your comments.
Like everyone says: proper fielding and sliding would avoid these instances.

-Rick

[TexBlue]

Originally posted by IRISHMAFIA

Rick,

Just because the runner is safe does not make them immune from not affecting other plays.

In the first scenario, for example, if F6 being knocked to the ground permitted runners to advanced and I as the umpire believed the "wreck" prevented the defense from making an out, then there is inteference.

I agree, with your "judgement" to an extent. If the runner on on 3rd for example is running home and the collision occurs, it's interference and dead ball, there could possibly be a double play depending on your judgement.

BUT ( I always like the but part) if the runner is standing on 3rd, the collision happens and then decides to run home because of the result of the play and seeing the defensive player on the ground, play one, no interference. It's a train wreck.