I think we all agreed on this discussion that if before the 3-foot line, this is a no-call. Our lack of agreement was when the batter-runner was beyond the 3-foot line. I was with several ASA heavyweights this past weekend - both in position/title and in size. This play came up in our discussions and the consensus of us all - probably more important that these three regional uic's, two state uic's, and several other pretty solid umps - anyway the consensus was that this is not interference. There is no play that can legally be made on the batter-runner until after she reaches 1B. She is entitled to 1B as an award for the walk and gets 1B without liability (read that as no legal play on her) to be put out. I know these folks were all speaking ASA rather than NCAA, but most of us in this talk also do NCAA ball and felt that NCAA matches ASA in this situation.

Thought I'd bring this beast back to life for an additional bit of discussion. The situation was that a batter was walked, was walking to 1B, beyond the 3-foot line, and F2 threw to fielder at 1B. The throw hits BR who is beyond the 3-ft line and still walking to 1B. The folks I was with in the hositality room while at an ASA school included 2 regional uic's, 1 state uic, several ISF umps, and me. The unanimous opinion was that there could be no legal play on BR until after she eached 1B, so this was a dumb move catcher and a live ball. In Pa, at a dinner tonight with my high school umpire chapter, we found that our state high school rules interpreter has a different opinion. According to him - and he's also on the NFHS rules committee - the BR is required to stay in the running lane even when awarded 1B, so this would be a dead ball with BR out on interference - all runners returning to base occupied at the time of interference. Interesting. Essentially the same rule in ASA, Fed, & NCAA but 2 rulings which are as different as they possibly can be.

This is consistent with a situation that was posted on their rules board last year. In that situation, there was an R1 on third and the batter walks, then gets hit by a throwdown to 1st by F2. The ruling there was out for interference.

SteveM is right on this phenomenon. In the Maryland NFHS Clinic, the clinician made a point (and NFHS even developed a tranparency for it) that in Federation ball, the umpire WILL rule interference.

And even before Steve and his crew had these discussions, it was being discussed in the college cafeteria among us that such a ruling is ludicrous at best. The Fed interpretation seems to be a "coach's rule" brought to the table by someone who thought they found a shortcut to an easy out.

I prefer the ASA interpretation and will call it that way for ASA, but if Fed says to call it the other way, that's what I'll. They are paying the freight, so their rules apply regardless of my feelings. But I'm not going to have to worry about it since my HS season has been eliminated by knee surgery.

Mike

Sorry to hear the you had to get cut, Mike. How long are you out? That's a good point, though. When Fed, ASA, or any other group makes a ruling, we go with that when we call their games - regardless of what we think of the ruling. I can just see 1 or 2 of the HS coaches around here going absolutely bananas over that call.

Knee surgery
 

Sorry to hear your having to go through the knee surgery Mike. Been through that myself. Hopefully you will come out better than new.

Remember though..........<b>DO NOT</b> use the Marquis de Sade Clinic for Physical Therapy...........(grin)

Joel

Let me add my sentiments to Joel's and Steve's. We'll try to keep you busy here with goofy situations while yur laid up.

Thanks to all d:-)

I won't see any field action until May at the earliest. However, I've got enough clinics and a school to keep me busy. Of course, it also gives me time to read the rule book to see what I've missed ;-)