INT or OBS or nothing?

CajunNewBlue · #1 (**permalink**) Mon Jun 08, 2009, 08:24am

NFHS rules tourney.
R1 at third, R2 at second. Batter hits a hard grounder to F6, she boots the play (ball comes up her glove, off her shoulder and into the air a good 10') F6 takes a step forward to try and field the now airborne ball and there is contact with R2 on her way to third. Ball falls and rolls and F6 takes 3-4 steps to pick it up in front of her.
BU makes no signal. PU makes no signal. R1 comes home and R2 is at third and BR makes first safely.
Question is "step and a reach".... how does this apply to a vertical play like this.
We ended up ruling nothing on this. I (PU) was inclined to give OBS to R2, but was moot as she made 3rd easily.
Correct? Wrong? Comments? (I heard a few select ones from the defensive teams fans)

Dholloway1962 · #2 (**permalink**) Mon Jun 08, 2009, 08:58am

Quote:

Originally Posted by CajunNewBlue

NFHS rules tourney.
R1 at third, R2 at second. Batter hits a hard grounder to F6, she boots the play (ball comes up her glove, off her shoulder and into the air a good 10') F6 takes a step forward to try and field the now airborne ball and there is contact with R2 on her way to third. Ball falls and rolls and F6 takes 3-4 steps to pick it up in front of her.
BU makes no signal. PU makes no signal. R1 comes home and R2 is at third and BR makes first safely.
Question is "step and a reach".... how does this apply to a vertical play like this.
We ended up ruling nothing on this. I (PU) was inclined to give OBS to R2, but was moot as she made 3rd easily.
Correct? Wrong? Comments? (I heard a few select ones from the defensive teams fans)

If all she had to do was a step and a reach to field this ball, vertical or not, then I have INT.

NCASAUmp · #3 (**permalink**) Mon Jun 08, 2009, 09:09am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dholloway1962

If all she had to do was a step and a reach to field this ball, vertical or not, then I have INT.

Disclaimer: I don't call NFHS.

My understanding of the "step and a reach" was that it solved the question of whether or not the fielder was still in the act of fielding a batted ball. It provides a clarification for a fielder in the basepath who is still, according to the spirit of the rule, in the immediate act of fielding the batted ball.

However, if the ball deflects off the fielder and goes straight up at a considerable height (10' is a bit borderline and would be a HTBT, but 15' or 20' works better for my argument here), I would not consider this to be in the realm of "step and a reach," as the fielder is no longer in the immediate act of fielding the batted ball.

If it's a step AND a reach, it sounds like the fielder must be able to step AND reach it, not wait for it to come back down, which could take 2 seconds (a lifetime in softball).

wadeintothem · #4 (**permalink**) Mon Jun 08, 2009, 09:30am

By your description, i dont think there is much doubt this is clearly INT.

CecilOne · #5 (**permalink**) Mon Jun 08, 2009, 12:01pm

"step forward to try and field the now airborne ball" sure looks like step-and reach.

Dakota · #6 (**permalink**) Mon Jun 08, 2009, 12:30pm

I'd have called that interference on the field. But Dave raises an interesting question: does this "step and reach" measure apply vertically or just horizontally?

IRISHMAFIA · #7 (**permalink**) Mon Jun 08, 2009, 01:23pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dakota

I'd have called that interference on the field. But Dave raises an interesting question: does this "step and reach" measure apply vertically or just horizontally?

Unless specificied, I would think it applies to all situations.

Under NFHS, if the defender does not have to take more than a step to retrieve the ball, common sense would say it is within the stated guidelines for the defense to be protected from INT.

CajunNewBlue · #8 (**permalink**) Mon Jun 08, 2009, 01:24pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by CecilOne

"step forward to try and field the now airborne ball" sure looks like step-and reach.

I couldn't judge if it was even that close... was trying to describe that the fielder took a step forward and contact was made with the runner who was trying to avoid (poorly, but still). depth perception from HP (as I had a runner coming in to score) was a guess at best.

BU didn't see the contact as he was looking up at the ball.