Interference, Obstruction, or Nothing

[cbiesecker]

Besides being an umpire, I also keep the book for my son's 12U team.  Tonight I was the scorekeeper.

 

R2 and B2 hits the ball hard to the hole between F5 and F6.  F5 moves to his left, knocks the ball down, and ends up lying on the ground.  While on the ground he gets the ball in his glove and as he's trying to get up, his feet and R2's feet tangle.  R2 was running behind F5 at the time.  F5 isn't able to make a tag on R2 nor is there time to make a play to 1st. R2 gets to 3B safely.  The umpire didn't make any calls.

 

After the team came into the dugout they wanted to know what I would have done.  I told them that the umpire got the call right.   There was neither interference or obstruction, and it was just contact and a failed tag.  It's probably a HTBT, but can there be contact between the bases that is sometimes nothing?

[HeadHunterLA]

Probably HTBT but if R2  caused the tangle of feet I'd lean towards interference and an out.

[MB_Ump]

It is possible to have contact and have nothing (I have heard it called a "trainwreck). I think the thing that is key is that we are there to prevent these situations from favoring one side over the other. If the runner is behind the play and should have been able to avoid contact and the contact costs the defence outs, then it is interference. If the fielder (with ball) is flopping around trying to get up and initiates the contact with the runner, then probably nothing (obstruction without the ball).

[Dannytheman]

HTBT!! 

 

Feet couldn't have been to tangled up if F5 couldn't make a tag on R-2.