I called it dead.
 

Here is the sitch. Runner on 1B. F3 is playing about halfway down the line, towards homeplate. Batter cracks a screaming one hopper. ball goes by F3 strikes the runner. I am the PU. I call dead ball. No thought put into it, just pure reaction. F4 definetly had a play on the ball. F4 had been cheating towards 1B attempting a pick-off,again.

So my thinking is not my dead ball to call-should have left that to BU. He didn't say I did anything wrong but I still think i should have left ths one alone. We did call runner out for interference. I am pretty sure we got that right.

Any comments,feedback ????

Well, we keep saying INT is anyone's call, but I lean toward batted ball INT being the PU primary.

You're second guessing yourself which for most good umpires who care about the game is normal.:D In the scenario you describe you could have waited a little longer to see if F4 could have made the play before killing play. Your ultimate decision was right and that is what matters most!

I can see waiting to give the BU time for the call, but do not agree with your reason. If it is interference, the ball is dead. It does not become "not interference" because a player is able to make a play anyway.

Speaking ASA

Of course, we are assuming the runner was off the base or you wouldn't have killed the ball.

Another fielder having a play is irrelevant. One of the umpires must determine if F4 would have retired a runner or BR if the ball did not hit the runner. If so, then the runner is out and the BR is awarded 1B.

This is one of those dependent on which rule book and how you interpret "chance" to make a play or an out.

And, to this point, I am the only one to note a particular set of rules.

If F4 is there to make a play on the ball, kill it. No thought has to be given if an out can be made. You cannot predict that.

Speaking ASA, this is not true. For ASA, once the untouched batted ball passes an infielder, if it contacts the runner, for the runner to be out, there must be a fielder with a chance for an out.

True, but we in sp, if we have anyone near by that would have been able to make a play on the ball, they would have an opportunity to make an out. Book doesn't say how or on who.

Same is true in FED
I am very reluctant to kill it once it passes F3. The defense has chosen to be in a different alignment for the play. If the ball is bunted then F3 makes a play. The screamer is a chance she took by playing up the line.


I guess HTBT to make that call

We don't have this problem much, as very few play in close enough.

Agreed....

It is a rare play

You are correct, which is why you cannot assume it to be so just because it's a SP game.