Batter Interference?

[domafaust]

Hi All,

Question/rules interpretation about something that happened in a high school softball game today.

Batter hits a ball into foul territory, starts running but stops, she’s now standing still. Catcher comes to make a play on the ball in foul territory but runs into the batter and does not catch the ball. Umpire calls this a foul ball after plate & field umpire discuss.

Is this actually a foul ball? Should the batter be out for interference? If I’m interpreting NFHS rule 8-2-7b correctly (“Batter-runner is out: the batter-runner interferes: with a fielder attempting to field a fly ball over foul territory”), then she should be out right? This shouldn’t be a foul ball. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

Let me know, thank you!

 

[The Man In Blue]

If the umpires feel the catcher had a play, it is interference and the batter is out.

If the umpires feel the catcher was NOT going to have a play even without the hindrance, it's nothing and a foul ball.

 

[domafaust]

If the umpires feel the catcher had a play, it is interference and the batter is out.

If the umpires feel the catcher was NOT going to have a play even without the hindrance, it's nothing and a foul ball.

Sure, let me clarify. It was clear the catcher could have & would have caught the ball had the batter not been standing there. The ball came down right where the batter was standing.

 

[eddieq]

Sure, let me clarify. It was clear the catcher could have & would have caught the ball had the batter not been standing there. The ball came down right where the batter was standing.

Interference every time IF it happened as you described. As noted though, judgement of “did she have a play” comes in and I wasn’t there.