ASA Double Base - Purpose of 8.2.M.4.?

[greymule]

I think the rule book covers that situation and makes the answer "none of the above".

It's ASA's test.

With the bases loaded and less than two outs a pop fly on the infield is an infield fly and the batter is out when the umpire calls infield fly: Rule 8-2, i.

The play stipulates that the ball was "near the line." But even if the ump did call IFR, the BR still interfered with the fielder. The ball isn't dead on IFR.

Rule 7-p says that ....(if) any offensive player, after being called out, interferes with a defensive player's opportunity to make a play on another runner, the runner closest to home plate shall be called out and all other runners returned to bases at the time of the interference. The key part of the ruling comes next: A runner continuing to run after being declared out and drawing a throw is a form of interference. While this is not the exact circumstance in this scenario the effect is the same. The batter runner was out on the infield fly rule and committed interference by continuing to run.

Yes indeed, the BR did commit interference, but by deliberately colliding with F3, not by continuing to run. Nothing says the BR must stop running when IFR is called.

At the very least you would have a ruling that the interference occured before the runner touched the plate and would justify putting the runners back.

The play stipulates: "R1 has touched home before the collision."