Interference Situation 2

[BlitzkriegBob]

Bases empty, I'm BU. Right handed batter hits a little squib shot which goes less than ten feet in front of the plate. As F2 comes out to make a play, BR crosses in front of her, causing F2 to hesitate. I don't see contact. Again, I see PU on top of the play, but he's not making a call. I have a bang-bang play at first and the BR beats the throw. I sell my safe call. After I make the call, PU calls dead ball and declares interference. I meekly tell the BR she's out for interference. Another blowout game with offensive team leading, so no questions or arguments from the coaching staff (and even a "Good call blue" from their bleachers).

During post game, partner tells me he made a delayed dead ball signal (I didn't see that), but I informed him that interference is an immediate dead ball. My question again concerns me making this call as the BU. Should I make this call from 75 feet away when the PU is 5 feet away? Does the lack of contact (actually I can not say for sure there was no contact, just that I did not see contact) negate an interference call? Is it just a DMC since F2 was polite enough to allow the BR to pass in front of her?

[wadeintothem]

This one is a little closer for me than your first situation. Other factors could come into play. That far up could bring F1 or F5 into consideration as the primary fielder who could have this play. I'd probably have to see it. As PU, if he saw it, he should have called it right away, not DDB.

[BlitzkriegBob]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

This one is a little closer for me than your first situation. Other factors could come into play. That far up could bring F1 or F5 into consideration as the primary fielder who could have this play. I'd probably have to see it. As PU, if he saw it, he should have called it right away, not DDB.

Excellent observation. I'll be more descriptive. No other fielders are close enough to make a play on the ball. This was a JV game and F5 was playing just a step or two in front of 3B, and I'm not exactly sure where F1 was, but she wasn't out there making a play. I said less than ten feet, but a better guess may be that the ball was 7-8 feet in front of the plate. BR was very fast, and F2 did not have a very good arm, which is how BR was able to beat the throw.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by BlitzkriegBob

Bases empty, I'm BU. Right handed batter hits a little squib shot which goes less than ten feet in front of the plate. As F2 comes out to make a play, BR crosses in front of her, causing F2 to hesitate. I don't see contact. Again, I see PU on top of the play, but he's not making a call. I have a bang-bang play at first and the BR beats the throw. I sell my safe call. After I make the call, PU calls dead ball and declares interference. I meekly tell the BR she's out for interference. Another blowout game with offensive team leading, so no questions or arguments from the coaching staff (and even a "Good call blue" from their bleachers).

During post game, partner tells me he made a delayed dead ball signal (I didn't see that), but I informed him that interference is an immediate dead ball. My question again concerns me making this call as the BU. Should I make this call from 75 feet away when the PU is 5 feet away? Does the lack of contact (actually I can not say for sure there was no contact, just that I did not see contact) negate an interference call? Is it just a DMC since F2 was polite enough to allow the BR to pass in front of her?

If in the umpire's judgment, F2 was the most likely candidate to field the batted ball and the batter and catcher were just doing what they were supposed to be doing, it is NOTHING, but a live ball, play on. If F2 was not the most likely to be the player fielding the ball, it is OBS.

Your partner needs a few clinics and a school.