NFHS Examples of Batter Interference
 

I'm preparing a presentation to give a NFHS rules class next week. I'm responsible for covering Rule 7 on Batting.

Rather than the typical rules briefing that I've seen in many clinics, where the slides basically regurgitate the rules as written in the rule book, I'm providing examples of how the rules are applied. The one I'm struggling with is for 7-4-4 on batter interference.

The examples I've come up with so far are, but not sure if they really apply, are:
- She leans into a throw
- She moves out of the box and hinders the throw to a base
- She moves into the catcher and causes her to throw wild or abort the throw
- She hits the catcher with her follow-through swing
- She does not leave the batter’s box and hinders a play at the plate

Are any of these wrong? Are any others missing? Some I'm not sure of include when:
= she swings and her follow-through hits a loose ball (as opposed to hitting the catcher)
= she backs out of the box and kicks a loose ball as a runner from third tries to score
= she backs out of the box and falls over the catcher who is trying to pick up the loose ball as a runner from third tries to score
= she does vacate the box on a loose ball as a runner tries to score, and she still gets in the path of a throw back to the pitcher

Thanx in advance!

Being "Stirrer of the Pot" does not necessarily mean an all-season topic. :rolleyes:
Research to follow.

Wow, I didn't realize this was going to be such a tall order. I'm simply looking for examples of what is/isn't batter interference with the catcher and/or with plays at home plate.

The casebook is a good start. But it only covers a couple of unusual scenarios, where the batter hits the catcher with the follow-through and knocks the ball out of her mitt (I would have never called Interference on this since, at the time of the incident, there was no play being made on a runner), and where the batter pulls back the bat on a bunt attempt and hits the catcher's mitt.

How about squaring to bunt with runner simultaneously stealing, and purposely dragging bat back into catchers face as pitch is coming in?

I think this kind of training is very helpful. A few of thoughts: one, don't formulate everything in your list as interference. Present the scenario and let people discuss then reveal the training answer. It will improve recall.

Two: - She hits the catcher with her follow-through swing
I haven't had time to break out my rule book yet this year (it's on the nightstand for hopefully tonight), but I thought there was a rule that if no play is being made, this is just a dead ball? Is that only for hitting the ball out of the glove, or am I confusing it with something else?

Three: she backs out of the box and falls over the catcher who is trying to pick up the loose ball as a runner from third tries to score

This has to be interference, she actively did something which prevented fielding the ball. There's a slight modification though that I'm not sure I understand well. That is the case where no play is happening and then seeing the tangle the runner from third comes home. Your training would be better with a play like that.

Initiating malicious contact? :D

Here's the actual case book play:

"7.4.4 SITUATION D: With R1 on third and R2 on first base, B3 swings and does not make contact with the ball. On her follow-through, the bat comes around and inadvertently knocks the ball out of the catcher's glove. The ball rolls up the line; R1 scores and R2 advances to second base. RULING: Batter interference is called since the ball was in the catcher’s glove; the act does not have to be intentional. B3 is out, the ball is dead and all runners return to the last base touched at the time of the interference."

So the case play says nothing about the runners advancing at the time of the pitch (e.g., R2 is stealing second). I get the impression that no play was going on when the batter knocked the ball out of the catcher's glove. I would have called Dead Ball, no Interference, and the runners return to their bases. But that's not what NFHS wants called here.

And since the case play specifically points out that the ball was in the catcher's glove, perhaps they feel differently if the ball was loose and the bat hits it on the follow-through. I guess in that situation, the batter cannot be faulted for contacting a pitch that the catcher failed to secure, and that would be cause to just ruling Dead Ball, runners return.

Okay, this silence is killing me. Let me approach this a different way:

Scenario: Runner at third base. Pitch is in the dirt, and the ball goes behind the batter's box. The batter has no idea that the ball is there, and as she backs out of the way when she sees her teammate running home to score, she:

a. Kicks the ball further away
b. Tangles with the catcher as the catcher tries to pick up the ball

In both situations, the runner from third scores easily. Is the batter guilty of interfering with the catcher, and is ruled out with the runner returning to third? FED only please.

Why wouldn't that be interference, in either case? In no case is intent a factor, in no case is "just doing what she is supposed to" a factor, in both cases the offensive player impeded the opportunity a defensive player to make a play.

So, no written exception applies, and it is clear the defense lost an opportunity because of an action by the offense. What is the question?