Asa girls modified softball. Runner R1 leaves 2nd base towards 3rd. Ball is hot and up the the middle on F6 side of second. F6 runs into R1 who's stopped to avoid contact. Interference or not? I didn't call interference due to the way play happened for anyone curious.

HTBT but if the fielder was attempting to field a batted ball and the runner impeded him/her I would rule interference but it was a HTBT and see the actual play.

No interference if the runner stopped or hesitated for F6 to make the play. F6 wrecked into R1 is all. You've got nothing, unless you were covering up your mouth to keep from laughing!!! LOL

If the runner interfered with the fielders opportunity to field the ball, then you have interference, no matter whether the runner was trying to get out of the way or not.

Ditto. Runner's intent is irrelevent.

Right you are, but I was responding to the initial poster that said R1 stopped. If she stopped to allow F6 to field the ball and F6 ran into her, you're saying it's still Interference? Maybe a HTBT.

" you're saying it's still Interference?"

Sure it is. A runner, a coach, a batter have to vacate the area where a play is to be made. If a coach stood shock still with a pop fly dropping on him and F5 ran into him trying to catch the ball would you not have interference.

If the batter is "bolted down" and the catcher runs into her tring to may a play at home, don't you have interference.

Sure ya do.

WMB

WMB brings up an intersting question, one that I've had several times in clinics during the past season and my kids have never been able to come up with a solid case for either way.

My feeling has always been that B/R 1 needs to vacate the area or it's an interference call, so long as it meets the definition for interference. Is this correct, and if the citation isn't the interference definition, someone throw it up...France, again.

I agree with you about the BR & coach scenerio. I wanted to add something to this though.

If R1 is on 2nd, batter pops up and the ball appears to be coming down directly on top of her on 2b, does she have to vacate the area for the fielder to make the play? Or should she stay put completely on the bag and risk a collision with the fielder? If she leaves the base she will get doubled up easily.

Speaking ASA

No, a runner never has to vacate a base to avoid interference. Unless intentional, you cannot call interference on a runner in contact with a base.

interference
 

Let me add another twist to my interference question. Lets say that R1 is still "frozen" off 2nd on hot ground ball hit in front of her. F6 sticks hand out in direction of R1 anticipating contact and its apparent that F6 will not be able to make a play on the batted ball. Still interference?

Re: interference
 

HTBT, Judgement, etc, etc.....

If I judge that F6 is not able to make a play on the ball, she is not a protected fielder for the purpose of interference. If F6 impedes R1 from running the bases, I may have obstruction on F6.