Another INT/OBS Question

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Numerous others have been talking about whether she could make a play, also not the standard. The question should be, could she have fielded the ball? If so, and if she was in the best position of the other defenders, then she is protected and the call is interference.

But that cannot be considered chiseled in granite, must call it every time situation. That is why we are being paid for our ability to make decisions.

What if the IF is playing in and there is a roller up the middle that no one can get and comes to a rest on the edge of the grass. Under your statement, the player trotting out to pick up the dormant ball is still "fielding a batted ball". Also with the IF in, a ball can literally be past F4 and F6 still giving chase. In that case, the umpire must deem that F6 had the opportunity to make an out. Continuing on, if a pop-up is over the fielder's head and lands beyond, is that not a ball which has passed an infielder other than the pitcher? Now your argument should be, "but it wouldn't have had the runner not interferred with the fielder." A-HA! Another decision to be made! All these decisions is why my wife could not umpire and get a game done within a two-day period

There must be some common sense applied here and part of that is to determine whether there was actually a viable play available even if the fielder fields the batted ball.

Remember, the reasoning behind removing the "intent" from many of the rules involving interference was based upon the umpire to determine whether the player's action actually did interfere with the defense's ability to perform their tasks in the field. That doesn't mean we start ignoring situations just because we don't like the rule, but apply the rule we how we have been taught to apply.

Tom, understand I am not supporting OBS in the OP, just offering variations of how it could be approached within the rules and clinics we all know and attend.