When do you call interference?

[greymule]

Interesting, but as long as there was a chance for a play somewhere, I think I'd have gone the other way. The book says, "interferes with a fielder attempting to field a fair batted ball." It doesn't add, "unless the runner is legally sliding in an attempt to reach a base" or "unless the runner would have been safe anyway" or "unless the interference is utterly unintentional." A few years ago, I had a similar play (though not a force) in a slow pitch tourney:

R1 on 2B, 2 out. B1 hits medium pop to F5, who stands about a foot inside 3B, in the baseline, to catch it. Just before the ball reaches F5, R1 executes a legal slide and contacts F5, knocking him off balance but not down. I called interference, 3 outs. The runner has to avoid the fielder, whether the runner is doing everything "right" or not.

You could ask, "What option did the runner have?" but sometimes there is no good option. It's just a bad break.

I admit I would have a no call in this case: R1 on 1B. B1 hits roller that goes past F1 and toward 2B. R1 slides in safe at 2B and gets tangled with F4 well before the ball gets to 2B. I determine that F4 had no play on B1.

I doubt if the ASA case book gives a play like this, but I'll check it now.

[Andy]

Originally posted by greymule
Interesting, but as long as there was a chance for a play somewhere, I think I'd have gone the other way. The book says, "interferes with a fielder attempting to field a fair batted ball." It doesn't add, "unless the runner is legally sliding in an attempt to reach a base" or "unless the runner would have been safe anyway" or "unless the interference is utterly unintentional." A few years ago, I had a similar play (though not a force) in a slow pitch tourney:

R1 on 2B, 2 out. B1 hits medium pop to F5, who stands about a foot inside 3B, in the baseline, to catch it. Just before the ball reaches F5, R1 executes a legal slide and contacts F5, knocking him off balance but not down. I called interference, 3 outs. The runner has to avoid the fielder, whether the runner is doing everything "right" or not.

You could ask, "What option did the runner have?" but sometimes there is no good option. It's just a bad break.

I admit I would have a no call in this case: R1 on 1B. B1 hits roller that goes past F1 and toward 2B. R1 slides in safe at 2B and gets tangled with F4 well before the ball gets to 2B. I determine that F4 had no play on B1.

I doubt if the ASA case book gives a play like this, but I'll check it now.

I think I'll agree with greymule here on the play posted by Roger...I've got interference. F6 is attemtpting to field a batted ball when R1 slides into her. No exceptions.

[SamNVa]

I would call interence in Roger's play as well. THe defense has a virtually unrestricted right-of-way to a batted ball, so the runner is just SOL in this case.

SamC

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by Roger Greene
Intresting play that I observed in NC NFHS 2A simi finals in 2000.

R1 attempt to steal on pitch. H&R on. Batter hits ball just right of second base.(F2 would be pleased to throw ball so well.) F6, covering on steal, and less than a foot to the right of 2nd is taken out by R1 executing legal slide as she attempts to field batted ball.

Inteference with F6 attempting to field batted ball or no call?

Ruling on field was no call, R1 and BR safe. I posed the play on one of the softball boards before, and the consensus was no call.

Roger Greene

As long as the umpire judged that F6 was the protected fielder on this play, it should have been INT.

[Roger Greene]

Dakota,
Runner was not hit by batted ball. F6 was flipped upside down by sliding runner before she completed fielding batted ball.

I'm not sure of proper call. I can argue this one both ways. I'm glad I was just watching that one.

Roger Greene

[Dakota]

Originally posted by Roger Greene
Dakota,
Runner was not hit by batted ball. F6 was flipped upside down by sliding runner before she completed fielding batted ball.

I'm not sure of proper call. I can argue this one both ways. I'm glad I was just watching that one.

Roger Greene

Yeah, you're right... that's what I get for visualizing instead of reading. Anyhow, as others have said, it is still interference.

[Elaine "Lady Blue"]

On Roger's play, I've got a 'dead ball, out for R1 and for the interference, out for R2'. I had this in an ASA National in 1994 and the UIC said it was the proper call. In consulting the NFHS book, I believe it is the same.