Interference Question
 

I'm a coach, not an umpire - please continue reading anyway! :)

R1 on first base, one out, B1 hits a high chopper to F4, F4 fields ball (has ball in glove) and R1 collides with F4 in the baseline. BU calls obstruction, R1 out for obstructing F4. Because F4 was run over, she was unable to complete a throw to first base to get that out (and turn a double play).

My question is this - Is this obstruction, or merely a collision that resulted in an out because of a tag (like you would get with a collision on a play at the plate)? Either way, R1 is out, but I'm just looking for clarification. Because we got an out (I was DC), I was obviously happy, but the other coaches and I were talking about it after the end of the game wondering if it was obstruction or just a tag out. Thoughts?

Thanks for your time.

Mike

I think you mean interference, Mike.

It certainly could be interference as described. You could get the second out if the umpire judged the interference to prohibit the double play. Hard to say going by the information given.

Well, we can't ALL be perfect, now can we? Just kidding, Mike. ;)

Just a quick thing... What we're talking about here is not called "obstruction" in softball. Obstruction is when the defense illegally hinders a runner. Interference is when the offense illegally hinders the defense from getting an out.

This sounds to me like your basic, run-of-the-mill interference call.

No problem.

Mike[/QUOTE]

Another Mike on the board? Uh oh...

Coach,
First (and it is a good thing to use the correct terminology when talking about these things), the "offense" commited by the runner would be interference.

The offense "interferes", the defense "obstructs".

As described, and (depending on which rule book you were using) your call could have gone a few different ways.
Now as to your play, the umpire called "interference" on R1 (rather than out on the tag) we still have to figure out what the interference was.

Could be interference with a fielder fielding a batted ball - in which case we would have R1 out and BR on firstbase, unless........

(in most books) umpire ruled it intentional for the purposes of preventing a double play in which case you could get your second out.

there are a few other possibilities, but those are the most obvious.

(Looks like I'm the slowest typer of the bunch)!!!

Thanks!
 

Thank you for your answers. Yes, I did mean "interference" (as is obvious, I'm a coach, but should still have known the difference by now!) I figured it was interference, but I wasn't sure if we could have gotten the second out based on what happened. The runner did not interfere intentionally - she accidentally ran into our F4.

I've been a lurker for a while, but I'm always looking to get better at what I do by observing what you guys do and talk about on this forum. I truly appreciate the clarification. Based on these responses, I'll be back!

Thanks again.

Mike

Just curious --- was there ever a tag during this accidental collision?

mbcrowder
 

Yes. The F4 had the ball in her glove, turned to tag runner, and runner collided with her, but not intentionally. It was during a District Final game, so I have a video clip of it, I just don't know how to load it onto the Internet, or you could all see more clearly what happened.

So all this happened on a tag attempt!!

That adds a whole different dimension.

I'm having a much harder time picturing interference now!

Let's see if you get Hi tech enough to show the video!

Unless there was some serious attempt to prevent further play by that runner, you merely have an out. Inadvertent contact during a tag (um, isn't there, by definition, always contact on a tag?) is not interference.

Unless the runner did something like slap the ball out of the glove in an attempt to prevent the double play. Then you would have grounds for interference, and the batter also out.

Speaking ASA

The timing is important here. If the crash happened after the fielder received the ball and turned to make a play, the ball is dead, the runner declared out and all runners returned to last base touched at the time of the INT. Intentions are irrelevant (8.7.Q).

Video of Interference
 

I think I figured out how to post the video of the call in question:

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/D_s9EZ-SlP4&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/D_s9EZ-SlP4&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Did you check with your local chapter interpreter or district interpreter, being that this look like a game played in PA under NFHS rules.

I have a straight interference on this play...dead ball, runner out, BR on first.

It looks to me as if the collision happened just after the fielder got the ball. The fielder did not have time to try to tag the runner, then throw to first for the DP.

I would have an interference with a fielder attempting to field a batted ball.

I agree on Int and double play ... but not with your reasoning. If the fielder HAD the ball, as you say you believe she did, when contact was made, you don't have interference with a fielder fielding a batted ball.