Interference: Who's Out?

[Timmy]

I've been hanging around this board for a while and it looks like there is a lot of great feedback from a lot of experienced officials. I'm a longtime SP player who does some umping in rec leagues on the side and plan on doing more of it once my playing days are over. I recently witnessed the following situation in a tournament and was wondering what everyone thought.

SP, ASA rules
R1 on 1st, 1 out. Batter singles to right field, R1 attempts to take 3rd. Throw to 3rd is late, F5 throws back to 2nd late as BR slides in safely stretching the hit. R1 takes off for home and as F4 steps toward home to throw (any kind of a throw home and R1 should be dead) BR very obviously reaches out his leg while he is still in contact with 2nd and trips F4. BU immediately calls dead ball and calls BR out for interference and calls R1 out because of the interference. Common sense seems to tell me that the BR is out for committing the interference and R1 should be out because the defense wasn't allowed to make a play on him, however, I'm having trouble applying the rule book to this case. The book seems to describe a case where both runners would be out when a runner commits interference to prevent a double play, however, there was no double play in this case since BR was already safe and was still in contact with 2nd base at the time the interference was committed.

I'd appreciate any input anyone has.

Thanks,
Timmy

[Dakota]

I agree with you, no double play here - R2 out, R1 back on third. R2 possibly ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct.

[SDUMP]

Timmy,
You're right. By rule, you can't call both of them out, even though you want to. Looking at Rule 8.8, only the BR on second would be called out, R1 on third gets sent back because it's a dead ball when interference occurs.
Maybe one way to get your point across is to eject the runner who intentionally tripped F4 for unsportmanslike conduct.
Troy

[oppool]

You guys are correct BR is out and most likely ejected. R1 back to 3rd. I actually had a play similiar to this a couple of years ago and I BLEW it because I called the runner being played on out and ejected the player that intentionally interfered. Later on thinking about I figured out I had blown the call but it rec co-ed game so nobody knew better


Don

[Gulf Coast Blue]

Agree with all here.........

NOW..........If the BR would have been called OUT at 2nd base.........you would invoke 8-8-P and also declare the runner closest to home out (R1 in this case).........

I know that this was NOT the scenerio given........just thought I would throw it out there.......

Joel