Interference/Deflected off the pitcher

[BretMan]

Originally Posted by jwwashburn

It seems like NFHS is saying that you cannot possibly be guilty of interference if you are hit by a ground ball off the pitcher unless you get hit on purpose.

That is exactly what the rule says.

See rule 8-8-6:

The runner is not out (when)... A runner is hit with a fair batted ball after it touches, or is touched by, any fielder, including the pitcher, and the runner could not avoid contact with the ball.

Could the runner avoid the deflected ball? That is decided by umpire judgment.

If you judge that the ball could have been avoided, but the runner either let it hit her or intentionally touched it, you have interference.

If you judge that the contact was unavoidable, no interference.

Maybe your confusion comes from mixing together the rules for a runner hit by a non-deflected batted ball, a runner being hit by a deflected batted ball and a runner contacting a fielder on a deflected batted ball. Different plays with different rulings.