Which rule???

[EsqUmp]

When a coach purposefully fails to vacate a portion of the field (including the coach's box) needed by the defense to execute a play on the batter, the batter is out.

[bsnalex]

FWIW ISF 8-9-r-2 says runner closest to home is out when a coach interferes with the defensive team's opportunity to make a play on R or B-R

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by bsnalex

FWIW ISF 8-9-r-2 says runner closest to home is out when a coach interferes with the defensive team's opportunity to make a play on R or B-R

Actually, the more appropriate rule is ISF 8-2-k, which covers interference by anybody on the offensive team (minus the batter, a runner, the batter-runner, or the on-deck batter) on a foul fly ball. Under that rule, the runner closest to home is ruled out unless there are no runners; in that case, the batter is ruled out.

But that begs a separate question: "Why the on-deck batter in the exception?" For the other exceptions--the batter, batter-runner, and runner--the player interfering is ruled out. But if an on-deck batter interferes, who gets ruled out? It seems to me that the on-deck batter shouldn't be included in the exceptions.