Coaches Interference
 

Greetings!
Bases Loaded One Out
Batter hits a foul pop fly towards the 3B coaches box. Coach is oblivious to the fact that the ball is in his direction, thinks the ball went to the parking lot, has his back to the field looking for the ball over the fence. The ball is now coming down close to where he is standing, the third baseman is trying to figure out how to get around the coach to make the catch for second out. Ball hits the ground and is declared a foul ball.
Q's
Does coaches interference need to be intentional to be called?

If called, is the batter out, or is the runner closet to home called out and batter continues to bat with an addition to the strike count?

HFHS clearly requires a coach to "vacate" but ASA does not use the same wording. What are the umpires duties and responsibilites here?
Thanks for your thoughts

My call: Interference on the coach, deadball, batter is out and runners return. The coach "not knowing" where the ball is does not allow him to interfere with a fielder attempting to catch a ball. The coach's box is not a sanctuary.

"Coaches Interference"

More than one coach interferred?

Bob

A general rule to remember: when a runner, BR, or batter is called for interference, that player is out. When another team member or coach is called for interference, the runner closest to home is out. Otherwise, I agree with your call. The coach was interfering with the fielder. Intent is not required for that. OTOH, intent is required for interference with a batted or thrown ball.

Fielder has the ROW to the batted ball. Intent is not required. Runner/BR is resposible for not interfering.

We are discussing coach interference, not runner.

Refering to Dakota's note. Same with a coach. They are responsible for avoidibg the fielder.

True, -- I said that in my previous post. But not everything is the same between runner interference and coach interference. Interference with a batted ball, for example.

FED Rules, spells out "must Vacate" ASA simply says "interferes with" The fact that the coach did not move because he was unaware, I now believe, was a mute point. Innocent yes, interfered with the fielders chance to make the play?.. Yes. If he had attempted to move, and still interfered because he moved too slowly or the same direction that the ball drifted and the fielder moved the same way, would you rule it then as well? (trying to vacate?)

ASA POE adds that "the coach's box is not a sanctuary". That language, added to "not interfere with", to me, is clear. The coach must not interfere with the play, either by standing still in the box or by attempting to move, whether intentional or unintentional, or obliviously unaware or "trying to get out of the way".

Simple question; did the coach interfere with a play (there has to be a play!!). If yes, call interference; period. Both ASA and NFHS; not different rules, just different language describing the same thing.

[/quote=Dakota]A general rule to remember: when a runner, BR, or batter is called for interference, that player is out. When another team member or coach is called for interference, the runner closest to home is out. Otherwise, I agree with your call. The coach was interfering with the fielder. Intent is not required for that. OTOH, intent is required for interference with a batted or thrown ball.[/quote]

so R1 on 3B, coach interferes as described, R1 is out and BR strike/foul?