Runner interference or clean

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Jun 4, 2019
106
18
Trying to understand a call and I know you all will give me the right answer. Runner on 1 and 2. Batter hits ball towards ss which is going to make play on ball. Runner on second runs in front of and almost runs over ss. SS was making play on ball. She avoids collision and ballrolls in outfield. Two runs score. Should there been interference called on runner or not. Thanks
 
Jan 11, 2015
78
18
Trying to understand a call and I know you all will give me the right answer. Runner on 1 and 2. Batter hits ball towards ss which is going to make play on ball. Runner on second runs in front of and almost runs over ss. SS was making play on ball. She avoids collision and ballrolls in outfield. Two runs score. Should there been interference called on runner or not. Thanks
Do you think the fielder was impeded or hindered in making the initial play on the ball? I am assuming the SS had the ability to reach the ball and control it.

Was the runner attempting to avoid the fielder? Or was it one of those where they were just running with their head down in a straight line and made no effort to give way?
 
Jun 4, 2019
106
18
The fielder was definitely hindered. She had a routine easy play at first or actually a double play really. Runner just ran a straight line and wasn't worried about fielder or even the ball. Just trying to figure out. I thought rule was fielder has right to ball as long as there is a play on ball?? I may be wrong. That's why I'm asking
 
Apr 20, 2015
961
93
The player pulling up sometimes makes the umpire feel that she wasn't hindered. Just running in front doesn't make her hindered. Total judgement call

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
Jan 11, 2015
78
18
The fielder was definitely hindered. She had a routine easy play at first or actually a double play really. Runner just ran a straight line and wasn't worried about fielder or even the ball. Just trying to figure out. I thought rule was fielder has right to ball as long as there is a play on ball?? I may be wrong. That's why I'm asking
If the fielder is making the initial play on a hit ball then they must be given the chance to secure the ball without being hindered or impeded.

All other situations the runner has right of way even including if the fielder is trying to catch a thrown ball
 
Jul 22, 2015
851
93
The fielder was definitely hindered. She had a routine easy play at first or actually a double play really. Runner just ran a straight line and wasn't worried about fielder or even the ball. Just trying to figure out. I thought rule was fielder has right to ball as long as there is a play on ball?? I may be wrong. That's why I'm asking
The fielder has to right to make the play, and the runner does not have "immunity" in any particular line between bases. Sounds like interference but always a "had to be there" play. The thing that does sometimes influence me as an umpire is if the fielder decides to stay where they are and try to field the ball behind the runner. If the runner hinders the fielder's ability to make the play the she interferes. Just running in front isn't interference alone though. If the fielder stays back and doesn't show me that she had any interest in making the play where the runner is, then I don't have interference.
 
Jan 8, 2019
664
93
The fielder has to right to make the play, and the runner does not have "immunity" in any particular line between bases. Sounds like interference but always a "had to be there" play. The thing that does sometimes influence me as an umpire is if the fielder decides to stay where they are and try to field the ball behind the runner. If the runner hinders the fielder's ability to make the play the she interferes. Just running in front isn't interference alone though. If the fielder stays back and doesn't show me that she had any interest in making the play where the runner is, then I don't have interference.
We had a scrimmage Thursday. B2 hits GB to F4. R1 on 1B passes in front of F4 but pauses directly in front of F4 to make sure the ball does not hit her (R1). I had it as R1 is out for the Int, but I know It was a HTBT play. In general, though, if you have a runner that pauses (even if not intentionally) in front of the fielder, would you be more inclined to call the Int then?
 
Aug 25, 2019
1,066
113
I made a call recently on runner on 2nd hindering SS making a play. There was no contact, but the SS movement was hindered by runner, so I called interference. Coach comes out arguing that there was no contact, so I say, you are right coach, but she hindered the SS. “What do you mean hinder” says the coach, Hindered” I said again. “What’s that’s mean, hindered, what are you saying”……I finally told the coach it’s unfortunate you dont know the definition of hindered, look it up after the game.
 
Jul 22, 2015
851
93
We had a scrimmage Thursday. B2 hits GB to F4. R1 on 1B passes in front of F4 but pauses directly in front of F4 to make sure the ball does not hit her (R1). I had it as R1 is out for the Int, but I know It was a HTBT play. In general, though, if you have a runner that pauses (even if not intentionally) in front of the fielder, would you be more inclined to call the Int then?
I know that some will say yes, but I would only be concerned whether or not that pause prevented the fielder from getting to where she wanted to field the ball. I don't feel making the ball harder to see is grounds for interference. There are case plays that also mention jumping over the ball not being interference (except when it is 😁). The fielders can make it tough to give an interference call when they sit back because it appears that is where they wanted to field the ball.
 
May 10, 2021
149
43
The fielder has to right to make the play, and the runner does not have "immunity" in any particular line between bases. Sounds like interference but always a "had to be there" play. The thing that does sometimes influence me as an umpire is if the fielder decides to stay where they are and try to field the ball behind the runner. If the runner hinders the fielder's ability to make the play the she interferes. Just running in front isn't interference alone though. If the fielder stays back and doesn't show me that she had any interest in making the play where the runner is, then I don't have interference.
All these coaches want interference if the baserunner runs in front of the fielder. Hard to call interference without contact IMO on this play. The SS needs to come up and make the play.....not wait for an interference call.

I know many umpires who will not call interference without contact in this situation.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,479
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top