Contact When Holding a Runner

[Mudder]

Had a game where F3 was holding R1. Everytime F1 would throw over to 1B, R1 would insist on going back standing up. Now F3 was straddling the bag, over the middle of the bag giving R1 access back to the bag....nothing unusual or illegal about the way he was set up.

So there was this "jockying for position" everytime this runner was on 1B, which seemed to be every at bat, until one time on a throw from F1, R1 scooted back to the bag standing up (he would never slide back to the bag, always standing up), and as he reached the bag, he put both his hand hands on F3's shoulders and literally pushed him off the bag. Nothing malicious just pushed him off the bag.

Can he do this? As I say I saw nothing wrong with the way F3 was set up while holding the runner, R1 just insisted on going back to the bag standing up and the only way to do this was to push F3 off the bag, either slightly with his body or in this case what escalated to the push with both hands. Not a word was said by either player to each other or to the umpires about what the other was doing, and it seemed both guys had no issue with what the other was doing.

[BRUMP]

If you dont see anything wrong with that then thats your judgement. Its a HTBT situation IMO.

[soapbox]

_{If it bothers you and think it could lead to something, telling him to stop.}

[Rich Ives]

Now F3 was straddling the bag, over the middle of the bag giving R1 access back to the bag....nothing unusual or illegal about the way he was set up.

Illegal - no

unusual - yes.

[Mudder]

Now F3 was straddling the bag, over the middle of the bag giving R1 access back to the bag....nothing unusual or illegal about the way he was set up.

Illegal - no

unusual - yes.

You think straddling the bag when holding a runner is unusual? By the "middle of the bag" I meant he straddled the bag directly over top of the bag, or perhaps closer to the foul line side of the bag, in other words he was not straddling the bag closer to the 2nd base side of the 1B bag, in which case I would have made him move back.

[Jocko]

F3 positioning is fine. R1 pushing F3 and not sliding is whats unusual. I'd definitely give him a stern knock it off. Could blow up.

[Rich Ives]

.

You think straddling the bag when holding a runner is unusual?

Yes.

[Dragon29]

F3's doing something odd; R1 is doing something odd. Trout's right - could blow up, but I'm not sure I say anything based strictly on the description in the OP.

Gee - I hope the coaches are watching . . . Maybe they can fix it between innings.

[Jocko]

F3 position is incorrect, but I see it alot with younger, less well coached teams.

[Dragon29]

. . . less well coached teams.

My point exactly.

[carolinablue]

I also see that with F3s that like to drop their knee and block the base. Going in standing could be a good way to discourage that.

[JaxRolo]

I called a couple of OBS's on F3 this year. Completely blocking the base.

[noumpere]

I also see that with F3s that like to drop their knee and block the base. Going in standing could be a good way to discourage that.

Likely OBS in HS and College.

[gejoe00]

There nothing in the rule book that says the runner has to dive back to the bag and nothing that says he can't go back standing up. The 1B is not covering the bag correctly and his coach should correct him.

[UmpTTS43]

I see that there are more posts concerning how F3 is supposedly working the bag wrong but nothing about R1 pushing F3 off the bag. Nice.

R1 done for unsportsmanlike actions. F3 can work the bag however he chooses as long as it is legal. Straddling the bag is legal.

Worry less about coaching and more about umpiring.

[mstaylor]

The runner should either be gone or given a very strong warning, depending on the situation and severity. The F3's position is not illegal so the runner has to deal with it. I have seen runners fix the problem in one of two ways, stepping on the fielder's foot of knee in the groin.

[Rich Ives]

The runner should either be gone or given a very strong warning, depending on the situation and severity. The F3's position is not illegal so the runner has to deal with it. I have seen runners fix the problem in one of two ways, stepping on the fielder's foot of knee in the groin.

Going in standing up is legal too.

Now what?

[UMP45]

Possible interference!

[mstaylor]

The runner should either be gone or given a very strong warning, depending on the situation and severity. The F3's position is not illegal so the runner has to deal with it. I have seen runners fix the problem in one of two ways, stepping on the fielder's foot of knee in the groin.

Going in standing up is legal too.

Now what?

Nothing, as long as it doesn't escalate they will figure it out.