One of my players hit a foul pop on the 1st base side. My base coach attempted to avoid the 1st baseman, but the 1B ran into the coach and they were tangled. The ball dropped harmlessly to the ground with the 1B no closer than 10 feet from the ball. I would say that it was 50/50 that the play would have been made.

The umpire called the batter out for interference. Was that the correct call? Also, how would that be scored for statistical purposes? Would it be a popout to the 1B? A K? A non AB?

The coach has to clear whatever space the fielder needs to make the play. Since he didn't it will be interference and the batter is out. The putout goes to the fielder making the play.

What if the coach did EVERYTHING that he possibly could do to get out of the way. There was no question that the coach tried to avoid the contact. Would the ruling still be there same? The coach was properly within the coach's box. Do you have a cite for the rule?

It was an insignificant play in the 1st inning, and we wound up winning the game, but if it should come up again I want to know the correct call.

Thanks for your help and insight.

quote:

Originally posted by chgojhawk:
What if the coach did EVERYTHING that he possibly could do to get out of the way. There was no question that the coach tried to avoid the contact.

He didn't do everything. It was a fly ball, for heaven's sake...get out of the way....there is plenty of time. The coaches' box provides no protecton from interference.

If it's a line shot or hot grounder or bad throw and the coach has no time to move...that's different. But when a fielder is attempting to make a play, intent on the coach's part has no bearing. My grandmother can get out of the way of a fly ball. She's smart enough to read the fielders and not look up for the ball.

It wasn't a fly ball. It was a pop up that went about 20 feet in the air. The 1B went directly for the ball and ran into the coach who was trying to back away.

You are correct that he was looking up and following the ball.

Does anyone have a rule cite on this??

NFHS 2-21-1a 7-4-1f
This for a batted ball, it is different on a thrown ball.

For OBR the rule is 7.11.

quote:

Originally posted by chgojhawk:
It wasn't a fly ball. It was a pop up

Tomato, Tomahto.

CHJO, you may as well realize that you're not going to get the answer you want here....

I am not looking for a specific answer. I just want to know how to advise my coaches for the future. Should they stay motionless and allow the fielders to move around them? Should they try to move and potentially create a larger issue?

I appreciate the cites. I will look those up.

quote:

NFHS 2-21-1a 7-4-1f
This for a batted ball, it is different on a thrown ball.

Like MST states........For Fed, this is the applicable rule 2-21-1a

As to what you should do, I say have them move........I feel the fielder is looking up at the ball, the coach does not have to see it and he should read off the way the player is moving and clear the space........the onus is on the coach to move..

If the coach stands still and basically "sets a pick"........I will call interference.....

quote:

Originally posted by chgojhawk:
Should they stay motionless and allow the fielders to move around them? Should they try to move and potentially create a larger issue?

Mountain/moehill.

They need to get out of the way. If they read the fielder and move accordingly, they will not create a larger issue. Surely if they are competent to coach they can read a fielder.

what age are these kids playing?

Jimmy00

What about competent umpires reading the situation? It is amazing how you use the rule book to protect yourselves and forget about it at other times-- Men in Blue are NOT GODS !!!!

Besides rulebooks, there are interpretive guides to baseball rules. One of these is referred to as Jaksa/Roder, and it is publically available. It primarily is aimed at OBR. Here's their interpretation:
For a batted ball, if the coach intentionally hinders the fielder, it is interference, no matter how slight the hindrance. For non-intentional behavior, they rule interference if the coach avoidably and blatantly interferes. They give two examples.

In the first example, the base coach doesn't move, and impedes the fielder from catching the pop-up. This is clearly interference, because it was avoidable.

In the second example, the coach moves to avoid the fielder, but the fielder misjudges the ball and ends up diving at the last moment, slightly contacting the coach. This is ruled not interference, because the fielder's behavior wasn't predictable.

So advise your coaches to move out of the way. Obviously, the more time the coach has to move, the more likely any hindrance was avoidable. They should try to avoid the fielder in preference to trying to avoid the probable path of the ball.

Is there any umpire discretion involved?

Situation: The coach reads where the ball is going to land and is vacating that area. The fielder apparently can't read a pop up and comes in on the ball rather than back. Contact is made. Since the kid isn't even sniffing a catch is it still interference?

(I'm well aware now that it is MUCH smarter to watch the fielder and avoid him, but in my mind I knew where the ball was going to land and hurried away from it. Never expected a kid to misjudge a ball so badly.)

At that point it is going to be a HTBT. Most coaches will instictively look for the ball. It is still important to read the fielder also. If the umpire judges that the fielder is going to have no chance to catch it then there shouldn't be interference.

quote:

Is there any umpire discretion involved?

Absolutely.......even in a casual read of the rules of baseball, you will find the statement..."in the judgment of the Umpire".........

Many people are often times suprized at how much individual judgment is left to the umpire......However, this is what we get paid for..........