Is the plate considered "fair territory"?

[greymule]

"heard a dad in the stands yelling vehemently"

I think we could all append two dozen idiotic statements to that introduction. My latest one was this weekend in a Pony qualifier final. Runner coming home when the catcher gloves the ball a yard up the 3B line and waits to make the tag. Runner takes two more steps, remains on her feet, and crashes into the catcher. Both girls tumble to the ground.

Naturally, I called interference and sent the other runner back to 2B. (No ejection, though. It was not a dirty play.)

At that point, I heard a dad in the stands yelling vehemently, "The catcher was in the baseline! She can't block the runner from getting to the plate! That's interference on the catcher! Etc. Etc. Etc."

Sometimes I wonder what goes through the "minds" of these people when they witness no objection from the coaches or the players and the game continues.

(I know of no code except OBR under which the crash I described is legal.)