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Runner hit by batted ball
Ball hit to shortstop who is playing in, she boots it and ball hits runner, behind the shortstop and after she had made a play on ball. No other infielder was in a position to make a play on the ball. Field umpire called her out. I am a baseball umpire, and in this sit, we have nothing, play on. Is it different in softball? Fed rules.
By the way, after the game I visited with the plate umpire and asked for the interp. He said that in softball, whenever a runner is hit by a batted ball, she is out, but a softball umpire I work with said the rule is the same as baseball. Color me confused. |
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A runner who is struck with an untouched, fair batted ball is not out if that ball has passed a fielder, other than the pitcher and no other fielder has the opportunity to make an out. This would not be true if the runner, in the umpire's judgment, intentionally contacted the batted ball. |
Didn't sound to me like this was an untouched batted ball (ie: "...she boots it...after she had made a play on the ball..." )
Did F6 actually touch the ball and deflect it at the runner? In that case, you have a deflected batted ball which is covered by a different rule. If the runner was unavoidably hit then she's still not out. The differences with the rule Irish posted above would be: It doesn't matter if the runner was in front of or behind the fielder, and; The part about "another fielder having a play" doesn't apply. |
NFHS 8-8-4 - A runner is not out:
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Thanks for the replies and rule references. No longer confused but now upset that two state registered high school officials are so ignorant of the rules, or just choose to lie to cover up their partner's mistake. Either way, it is disappointing.:mad:
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Initial Play
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The FED also has "initial play" on the ball. Meaning that if the ball is booted and the ball is within a step and a reach of the fielder, we still protect the fielder and intent is not required to get an out on the runner. |
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But the rules I quoted are referring to a ball hitting the runner, not a runner interfering with the fielder. That would be this one: NFHS 8-6-10 - The runner is out: Quote:
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The rules for a batted ball striking a runner are not the same as baseball in all cases, but in THIS case, they are - your runner should not be out.
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What about....
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Suppose the deflected ball makes contact with the runner and the runner is a step and a reach from the fielder? |
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As for the step and reach in FED, if the fielder deflects the ball into the path of the runner, and the runner could not avoid the ball, step and reach does not apply. |
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rwest, based on your question with an "initial play" within a step and a reach, you have an out for interference per rule.
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