Batter Interfering with Play at Plate
 

In this case in ASA, is batter out, runner out, or both? Seems I remember reading in LL baseball that with less than two outs, the runner is out, but with two outs, the batter is out. Is it different in ASA?

In ASA, if a batter or runner commits interference, it is that player that is out. Another runner can ALSO be out in certain cases where the umpire would judge the interference to be an obvious attempt to prevent a double play.

Buddy,

The baseball ruling on this play is different than how it's handled in softball.

This one is still fresh in my mind, since my partner blew this call just last night in a baseball game played under FED rules. He ruled interference (correctly) on a batter during a catcher's throw to third. There was one out, so he ruled the runner out (incorrect).

Then he went on a long explanation to both coaches about the whole "less than two outs, batter out/runner out" thing. After things settled down, as the batter- whom I didn't recognize at first as the same kid- got ready to hit, the PU signalled to me asking for the count. I flashed 0-0. After all, we had a new batter, right? Wrong!

We talked briefly and he let things stand. This all got rehashed in our post-game and he seemed to get it straight then. And, of course, a soon as I got home I was double checking this rule in both the ASA and FED baseball books.

For FED baseball- and, I suspect, Little League, too- the runner/batter being out distinction only comes into consideration when the batter interferes with a play at the plate. The runner is out when less than two outs, the batter is out when there are two outs.

For a play at any other base, the batter is always the one called out, with the runners returning to the last base occupied at the time of the infraction.

Sorry to go off on a baseball tangent. Personally, I prefer the ASA ruling on this play. It's a lot easier to remember!

Too late for apologies, Bubba! :mad:


J/K.....maybe :D

So, the batter is out and the runner has to return to 3B?

Correct.......................

Yes.......