judging interference w/ defender on ground ball

[SoCal Lurker]

13U.  2 outs.  R1.  Medium ground ball to F4. R1 simply running (no stutter or game being played) and passes in front of and close to F4 who flubs the play leavnig all runners safe.  (Solo umpire game, so tough for U to see how much space betwen the runner and the fielder.) 

 

Sitting in the stands, I cringed waiting for an inning ending interference call -- which to the benefit of my son's team never came.  Obviously the interference call is easy if there is contact or if the runner is being a doofus.  But without those, I gather it is a judgment call by the U whether, in fact, the runner was too close and interfered with the ability of the fielder to play the ball?  In the real world, what do you do to make that judgment? If the kid is just running, does the runner get the benefit of the doubt on that play?

[noumpere]

Judge whether F4 stopped to play the ball or whether R1 "forced" F4 to alter his play.

[umpcoachfather]

Judgement call if there is 1 Ump or 47 Umps.  Very hard to make that call from behind the plate.  Experience helps in determining if the runner has interferred.  Sometimes its blatant, sometimes not. 

[scrounge]

Had virtually the exact situation last night....F4 had to clearly pull up and wait on the runner to clear, so an easy call. As written above, I think I need to see more to call it.