Deflected Ground Ball Situations
 

Federation Rules Only Please.
When a ground ball deflects off the pitcher and strikes a runner, by rule 8-8-6, the runner is not out.
Yet, when the same deflected ball is heading to another fielder, she is considered to be making the 'initial play' and is afforded protection from interference by the runners (rules 2-47-3(a) and 8-6-10(a)).
Can someone explain to me why in one case the deflection is basically ignored (runner interfering with fielder) and in the other the pitcher is assumed to have misplayed the ball (allowing for the ball to hit the runner with no interference called)?
Seems to me that the rules should be consistent one way or the other.

runner hit after deflecting off pitcher.
 

If a ground ball deflects off F1, and the runner is in front of the infielders when the batted ball hits the runner, ball is DEAD, the hit base runner is out, batter is awarded 1st base & credited w/ a hit. Runners return to base occupied at time of interference.
Dead ball table pg 44 rule book. # 13.
Ref 5-1-1-f rule book

That's a quirk of the NFHS rules and it's been discussed here before. I don't know that we can tell you WHY the Fed rule is the way it is...it just is.

All I can guess is that when they first wrote their rules it was assumed that a ball deflected by the pitcher would give the runner plenty of time to react by the time the ball got all the way out to the next fielder.

Personally, I don't agree with that. On a deflected ball it's possible that the next fielder will change directions quickly and unpredictably. Why should a runner be forced to avoid someone reacting in an unpredictable manner that might not be avoidable?

As a side note, ASA does handle this in a consistent manner, protecting the runner from an accidental interference call in both cases.

Isn't 5-1-1-f refering to an untouched batted ball (ie: not a deflected ball)?

Among some other strange rulings they come up with, this is one I have never been able to figure out. They recognize a runner may not be able to instantly change directions and avoid being hit by a batted ball deflected by the pitcher, but they do expect them to instantly avoid a fielder who may have a play on a batted ball deflected by the pitcher.

I don't think so.

Try 8-8 Runner is not out ART. 6 A runner is hit with a fair batted ball after it touches, or is touched by, any fielder, including the pitcher, and the runner could not avoid contact with the ball.