3 Foot Lane

[WestMichiganBlue]

Originally Posted by BretMan

Didn't NFHS at one time publish an interpretation that if the runner is out of the lane and the umpire judges that is the reason for a bad throw, then it could be ruled as interference?

Or am I "misremembering"?

Your memory is good, but you have to go back over 30 years when the Fed book said that a "Runner is out . . . when she runs outside the three-foot running lane while the ball is being fielded or thrown to first base."

However, there was a caveat: "This infraction is ignored if the act does not interfere with a fielder or a throw."

That went out in 2002 when Rule 8 was re-written to align with ASA Rule 8.

Speaking ASA, this was a subject of a lot of interest at the last NUS I attended. Kevin discussed it in his presentation, and clinician Steve Rollins held a lengthy drill focusing on this issue.

At that NUS, the ASA position was very clear - IF the runner is outside the 3-foot lane and the fielder could not handle the throw - CALL IT! We ran that drill many times; we never hit the runner, but everytime Steve insisted that we call interference.

Basically the positon is that if the runner is NOT where she belongs so she gets no help; benefit of doubt goes to the fielder.

Of course if umpires will not make this call, catcher's know what they have to do. Rather than risk an error, they will ding the runner and force the umpire to make the call.

WMB