BR intentionally kicks ball 4

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by Angler

ASA rule set. B1 receives Ball 4, the ball gets away from the catcher and rolls up the 1B line. On the way to 1B, the BR intentionally kicks the ball and it goes towards the fence. When the play is over, BR is standing on 3B. What do you do? Would you do something different if there were runners on? Please provide rule/casebook references if possible.

Okay, so your point is that 8.2-F (interference by a batter-runner) and 8.7-J & L do not specifically cover an intentionally kicked Ball 4. Well, to be equally clear, the sections stating "not out" do not cover this specific scenario, either.

I think it is more than clear that this action constitutes "interference"; the exact definition in Rule 1, "The act of an offensive player or team member ... that impedes, hinders, or confuses a defensive player attempting to execute a play." This is true once the batter-runner advanced beyond first base as a result of the act that clearly hindered F2 from making a play to keep the BR to the awarded base, and/or other runners to the bases to which they were forced by the walk. Once that happened, I am calling the BR out on interference (reference the definition), and returning any other runners to the one base they might be forced to as a result of the walk.

If no runner advanced more than the base awarded by the walk (or forced to advance because of the walk), nor even attempted to, then there would be no available play to execute. I would have a conversation with the offensive coach, possibly advise how close that act is to unsportsmanlike conduct; maybe even eject for unsportsmanlike conduct, if I felt it was done out of anything beyond "having fun". But absent an advantage resulting from the act, I would not rule an out.