A little story for you...
 

ISA 14U Tournament this weekend. Winner's bracket semi-final game. Bases loaded, one out. BR hits the ball. I happen to have a camera focused on the batter at this particular at-bat, and by the time I focus on the action, F6 is on the ground, ball is being scooped up by F7, R2 is running in a somewhat peculiar fashion towards 3B and the BU has his arm out. R1 scores, R3 reaches 2B and BR reaches 1B (becoming R4 with all rights an privileges attached thereto, including... never mind).

Anyway, umpire calls R2 out for interference by running into the fielding F6. All other play stands. Before the next batter both OC come out to talk to the umps in front of where I'm sitting. I sit there and listen while the umpire explains that it was a delayed dead ball call for interference. He said a lot of other similar and related pompus sounding things while I sat there attempting to keep a straight face. The coaches nodded their heads sagely and went back to their dugout.

Knowing R2, I don't think she deliberately hit F6 to prevent the double play, so I don't think R3 (or R1) should have been called out (ISA 8.8.b, second part). What had me scratching my head was why the arm was out. I kept waiting to see how in the world he was going to sell OBS on what looked to me to be a clear cut interference.

Shouldn't the dead ball have been immediately? (ISA 9.1.K)

Should R1 have been sent back to 3B? (I don't know how good a jump R1 had on the pitch and whether F6 could have thown home in time to get the force.)

I wait to bask the glow of your superior understanding...

The arm was out because the umpire was signalling delayed dead ball (which is what the arm out is for - it is NOT a signal that always means OBS, but it DOES always mean DDB).

He was signalling DDB because he apparently thought interference is a DDB. It isn't. It is an immediate dead ball. It doesn't matter about intent here, since F6 is attempting to field a batted ball. R2 needs to stay out of her way.

The proper call probably would have been dead ball, R2 out, R1 returns to 3B, BR on 1B, which forces R3 to 2B. So, 2 outs, bases still loaded, no score on the play.

I understand that "the arm" means DDB, not OBS. However, I figured if INT, then it should be immedate dead ball, so if DDB maybe he's seen OBS?

Not to mention the wishful thinking since my daughter is on the batting team, this is a tough team we're playing and we need every base runner we can get.

You may not have gotten a free runner, but you got a free run!! R1 was allowed to score, when she should have been returned to 3rd on the dead ball interference.

I can't think of a thing to add, so I'll just razz a little.
How did you know "what looked to me to be a clear cut interference" when "by the time I focus on the action, F6 is on the ground, ball is being scooped up by F7" :p :) :confused:

Because, given the definitions, I can't think of a situation where F6 could have obstructed the runner trying to play a ground ball...

Perhaps a line-drive over F6's head, but short of F7 or even or a grounder clearly not toward F6? If F6 has no play, they are not protected, and a collision between F6 and R2 would have been obstruction.

Did you see (perhaps in peripheral vision) the flight of the ball at all?

I saw it leaving the bat and could tell it wasn't going over the short's head. I guess the ball could have been far enough from the SS that she didn't have a play on it and got run over, but not from where F7 was picking up the ball.

Fair enough ... another possibility that could make this OBS and not INT was if the ball was actually past F6 when contact initiated.

Not saying any of these were the case ... just answering the "I can't see how this COULD HAVE been OBS" part. Sounds like they actually ruled INT - but misapplied the penalty (and mistakenly called DDB instead of DB).

BR hits the ball.

If the BR hit the ball, she was out for interference, since by definition, a batter becomes a BR when she/he has completed her/his at bat, and is out, or has the opportunity to attempt to reach base.

Bob

Sorry. My mistake. Okay, B3 hit the ball, thus becoming BR3 with all rights, responsibilities and privileges attached thereto.