Interference

lildani14 · #1 (**permalink**) Fri May 30, 2003, 03:06pm

Saw this the other night at my brothers baseball game and wondered what the correct call or no call would be in ASA.

Runner on 1st. Ball hit to outfield R1 scores because ball is late getting to home, BR is trying to strech for a triple, F2 throws to F5, right before ball arrives BR slides into F5 causing him to get jarred and miss the throw. Interference or no call?

DaveASA/FED · #2 (**permalink**) Fri May 30, 2003, 04:20pm

As long as the slide was legal I would have a no call.

Dakota · #3 (**permalink**) Fri May 30, 2003, 11:17pm

Agree... ASA says explicitly (in POE 13) that a runner may slide into a fielder. As long as it is a legal slide, no call.

CecilOne · #4 (**permalink**) Sun Jun 01, 2003, 04:51pm

This sounds like an "about to receive", interfering with the fielder catching the ball question. If so, then the umpire has to judge whether the fielder was about to receive the ball when the runner made contact.
If "right before ball arrives BR slides into F5 causing him to get jarred and miss the throw" means the runner arrived before the ball, slid legally and did not deliberately hit the fielder or ball; then it probably is a no-call play. The timing is the important factor, but my visualization of the play is "incidental" contact.

IRISHMAFIA · #5 (**permalink**) Sun Jun 01, 2003, 09:46pm

Quote:

Originally posted by CecilOne
This sounds like an "about to receive", interfering with the fielder catching the ball question. If so, then the umpire has to judge whether the fielder was about to receive the ball when the runner made contact.
If "right before ball arrives BR slides into F5 causing him to get jarred and miss the throw" means the runner arrived before the ball, slid legally and did not deliberately hit the fielder or ball; then it probably is a no-call play. The timing is the important factor, but my visualization of the play is "incidental" contact.

C-One,

Speaking ASA, timing has nothing to do with it. A runner is permitted to make contact with any defender when properly sliding into a base. If anything, the only other option would be obstruction.

CecilOne · #6 (**permalink**) Mon Jun 02, 2003, 09:23am

Even when the ball arrives first and the runner prevents the catch or knocks the ball loose?

AlabamaBlue · #7 (**permalink**) Mon Jun 02, 2003, 10:08am

I believe even if the ball arrives first and F5 is waiting to make the tag, if the runner makes a legal slide into the base and dislodges the ball, there's no interference, just butterfingers.

Dakota · #8 (**permalink**) Mon Jun 02, 2003, 10:37am

The runner may slide into the fielder whether the fielder has the ball or not. Sliding is always legal, and the runner making contact with the fielder and dislodging the ball or preventing the fielder from making the catch is always legal (assuming a legal slide).

IRISHMAFIA · #9 (**permalink**) Mon Jun 02, 2003, 11:22am

Quote:

Originally posted by CecilOne
Even when the ball arrives first and the runner prevents the catch or knocks the ball loose?

Speaking ASA

That is correct.