Batters Interference
 

Situation:
ASA Ruleset - Farm league game 3rd-4th grade

Bases Loaded

Batter hits a ball that makes contact with plate, bouces on the plate again then rolls into FAIR territory above the plate. BR INNOCENTLY picks up the ball and hands it to the catcher. I call the BR OUT for interference. By the book, should I have also called the Runner at 3rd out?

Now, if this was Jr or Sr level game or even HS/College. . .would it be the same call?

You have an out on the BR, but nowhere else.

Same rule applies for all levels in ASA. The key words being: "in ASA." NFHS, NCAA, etc., may have different rules.

By rule...
 

...you have an out. However, if this is rec ball should it be called an out?

Ahhh... The great debate of youth softball. :)

Yes, I think an out should be called, unless given other instructions by the league. There is nothing wrong with a league that eliminates certain rules in the spirit of participation. If the league wants a more lax approach from the officials, that's fine by me, and I won't call the out (maybe a live ball or call it "foul").

However, I'd want the league to declare these expectations to me beforehand, rather than after the fact. The last thing I'd want is phone calls for doing my job with fluctuating sets of expectations.

If that is the set of rules by which the league chooses to play, and there are no declared variations to the rules, yes.

The coaches always tell me that "If they dont learn now". . .so I take that approach behind the plaet. . . .

However, the reason I asked about other more advanced leagues is simple. . . .I fully suspect that in a 7/8 Sr. Level Game, I would have expected that the catcher would have the opportunity to have fielded the ball, stepped on the plate and have a chance to complete a DP. . . .Thats why I asked the What If. . . guess I'd only still have one out if it wasnt intentional

What you actually have here - in any organization - is a batter (or runner) hit/contacted by a fair batted ball before it has passed an infielder. Dunno 'bout jr's or sr's since I don't do LL. I can't imagine that it would happen in most high school games, but I've got a rule to cover that. In college, the head coach is likely to have killed the batter before I'm able to kill the play:D