Immediate (?) dead ball

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by WestMichBlue

Situation: R1 on 1B, high fly ball on the right side of the infield. F1, F3, F4 can potentially make the catch; even F9 if the ball drifts further out.

R1, off the base, takes a couple steps back to 1B and collides with F3 who has taken a couple steps towards the ball. Normally you would kill the ball at the time of contact. But in this case the ball is still high in the air and you don't know who is going to catch it. How long will you wait?

That's why we get the big bucks. Quick survey of the fielders involved and make the call, interference (DB) or obstruction (DDB) immediately. Remember, if it is interference, the ball is considered dead at that point.

Where it drifts becomes irrelevant.