Interference without contact

[greymule]

That play where the BR is running outside the lane—now that's one where I'd be more likely to make a literal interpretation. Don't have the Fed wording here but ASA says "interferes with the fielder taking the throw." To me, that means throw the ball to first as you would normally, and if the runner interferes, she's out. But the catcher should not try to throw around the runner. If she does and makes a wild throw, that's too bad. I also think the catcher (or whoever) has to make a "quality throw." From halfway to the mound, a throw that hits the runner in the ankle 10 feet in front of the bag is not a quality throw.

Had this play a few years ago:

Batter bunts in front of the plate. F2 fields the ball, starts to throw to F3, but stops and says, "She was running on the fair side of the line! I couldn't make a throw without hitting her." But before the runner can interfere with the fielder taking the throw, there has to be a throw.

[Edited by greymule on Jan 8th, 2003 at 12:34 PM]