Walk-off interference call...

[Infield Fly]

ASA, JO girls, fastpitch local tournament pool play game. Bottom of the 7th, no-new-inning time limit has expired, 4-4 score, two outswith the bases loaded. I'm U1.

Batter hits a liner off pitcher's glove. Ball skips out towards shortstop who is plowed into by runner going from 2nd en route 3rd.

My partner calls the runner from 2nd out on interference.

The runner coming home from third has not crossed the plate at time of the contact, so the game is over with tie score (ties stand in pool play in these tourneys).

Home team, however, protests that because ball was deflected by pitcher it could not be interference -- that that was what they'd been told when the same situation came up at Nationals last year. Their protest was denied by tournament UIC/Director.

My question: On base-runner interference the other runners go back to the last base legally touched at the time of the interference. So had that runner from 3rd crossed home prior to the contact would the run have counted and the home team won? ASA book would seem to support that, but it doesn't seem right. Because the interference prevented what might well have been a game-ending force-out the runner interference could actually aid the OFFENDING team.

--I.F.

[KJUmp]

Your post does not state how many outs you had at the start of the play.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Infield Fly

ASA, JO girls, fastpitch local tournament pool play game. Bottom of the 7th, no-new-inning time limit has expired, 4-4 score with the bases loaded. I'm U1.

Batter hits a liner off pitcher's glove. Ball skips out towards shortstop who is plowed into by runner going from 2nd en route 3rd.

My partner calls the runner from 2nd out on interference.

The runner coming home from third has not crossed the plate at time of the contact, so the game is over with tie score (ties stand in pool play in these tourneys).

Home team, however, protests that because ball was deflected by pitcher it could not be interference -- that that was what they'd been told when the same situation came up at Nationals last year. Their protest was denied by tournament UIC/Director.

My question: On base-runner interference the other runners go back to the last base legally touched at the time of the interference. So had that runner from 3rd crossed home prior to the contact would the run have counted and the home team won? ASA book would seem to support that, but it doesn't seem right. Because the interference prevented what might well have been a game-ending force-out the runner interference could actually aid the OFFENDING team.

--I.F.

Think about this. Was the 3rd out a forced runner retired prior to reaching the next base safely?

[3afan]

how many outs is irrelevant. initial post stated "The runner coming home from third has not crossed the plate at time of the contact" .... so in any case all baserunners would go back to last base legally occupied.

[SRW]

...no run can score when...

[Infield Fly]

Thanks Irish Mafia and SRW. Yeah, the out on the interference was in fact an out on a forced runner. So even if the runner coming in from 3rd had already crossed the plate at the time of the interference the run would not count per Rule 5, 5 B 1 (I failed to make clear that this was, in fact, the 3rd out).

As far as the other part of that play -- the offensive team's contention that the deflection of the batted ball by the pitcher negated the interference -- is the responsibility of the runner to allow the fielder to make the play absolute? Or if it happens bang-bang should it just be ruled a train-wreck? In the case of a single fielder booting a play we got the "step and a reach" decree a year or two ago from the powers that be. Is that the operational guide to go by if the interference occurs on another fielder with a chance to make the play?

On the play I'm describing there was quite a bit of time and substantial real estate between the deflection off the pitcher and the point of contact of the runner with the shortstop. So it seemed like a clear case of interference to me (and my partner who called it).

--I.F.

[KJUmp]

Originally Posted by 3afan

how many outs is irrelevant. initial post stated "The runner coming home from third has not crossed the plate at time of the contact" .... so in any case all baserunners would go back to last base legally occupied.

Go easy 3afan..
I wasn't being critical of Infield Fly's post. I was simply asking him for some basic info. that many of us expect to see when a poster sets up sitch. #of runners, # of outs, inning, rule set the game is being played under is just basic stuff that helps understand the sitch better.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Infield Fly

In the case of a single fielder booting a play we got the "step and a reach" decree a year or two ago from the powers that be.

Don't think you got that from ASA. NFHS maybe, but I don't believe ASA initiated such a direction though it may be a common practice.

Is that the operational guide to go by if the interference occurs on another fielder with a chance to make the play?

On the play I'm describing there was quite a bit of time and substantial real estate between the deflection off the pitcher and the point of contact of the runner with the shortstop. So it seemed like a clear case of interference to me (and my partner who called it).

--I.F.

ASA 8.7.J.4 states the INT must be intentional of a fielder who has the opportunity to execute an out with a deflected batted ball.

[HugoTafurst]

Originally Posted by Infield Fly

Thanks Irish Mafia and SRW. Yeah, the out on the interference was in fact an out on a forced runner. So even if the runner coming in from 3rd had already crossed the plate at the time of the interference the run would not count per Rule 5, 5 B 1 (I failed to make clear that this was, in fact, the 3rd out).

As far as the other part of that play -- the offensive team's contention that the deflection of the batted ball by the pitcher negated the interference -- is the responsibility of the runner to allow the fielder to make the play absolute? Or if it happens bang-bang should it just be ruled a train-wreck? In the case of a single fielder booting a play we got the "step and a reach" decree a year or two ago from the powers that be. Is that the operational guide to go by if the interference occurs on another fielder with a chance to make the play?

On the play I'm describing there was quite a bit of time and substantial real estate between the deflection off the pitcher and the point of contact of the runner with the shortstop. So it seemed like a clear case of interference to me (and my partner who called it).

--I.F.

For NFHS...
Am I correct that his would NOT be an out for interference since the ball was deflected off the pitcher, but would be inteference if deflected off any other fielder?
(Case Book 2.47.3(B)

[BretMan]

It appears you are correct, Hugo. NFHS makes an exception when the batted ball is first touched by the pitcher. When that happens, the second fielder trying to field the deflected ball is still considered to be making the "initial play" and thus has full protection from being interfered with.

Why they have this exception...beats me. It sort of makes sense if the pitcher barely nicked the ball and it continued on in a pretty much straight path. But if it deflected off at some odd angle, the second fielder is likely to make a quick, unavoidable course change. I don't think that a runner who accidently contacts a fielder in this case should be rung up for interfernce. And, apparently, neither does ASA, where the interference with the second fielder must be intentional, no matter who first touched the ball.

Chalk it up to another one of those rule differences that exist mainly to confound and confuse us!

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by HugoTafurst

For NFHS...
Am I correct that his would NOT be an out for interference since the ball was deflected off the pitcher, but would be inteference if deflected off any other fielder?
(Case Book 2.47.3(B)

Other way around. If deflected of the pitcher, in NFHS the "initial play" on the batted ball continues.

[SC Ump]

Originally Posted by Infield Fly

So had that runner from 3rd crossed home prior to the contact

I think the only way that would happen is if the runner was Cool Papa Bell, who was said to be the fastest man ever to play baseball.

Satchel Paige told a story of pitching to Cool Papa Bell, who hit a line drive that came screaming back at Paige and whizzed right past his ear. But, unfortunately for Bell, he was called out when the ball hit him in the butt as he was sliding into second.

[HugoTafurst]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Other way around. If deflected of the pitcher, in NFHS the "initial play" on the batted ball continues.

Yup, that's what I meant....