Interference?

[Guest Coach]

First off, I come in peace haha.  I have a question regarding interference on the runner who is sliding into second base on a double play ball.  This is for high school baseball.  I know that my runner is not allowed to slide past, pop up, or slide away from the bag as this violates the slide rule, but had one happen to me the other day that is a first.  Close play on my runner going into second as he was stealing.  As he was sliding he raises his hands up in the air and his arms are around the belly button of the fielder who makes the throw to first.  The plate umpire comes out and rules that the runner going to first is out for interference on my sliding runner as he raised his hands up in the air.  The ball did not hit his hands or anything like that and from my angle the play was not altered.  I of course asked him for an explanation and his response was that as soon as the runner raises his hands in the air that he is out for interference and so is the runner going into first.  No further questioning from me as there is nothing else to ask, but this seems odd to me as the runner did not interfere with any aspect of the play.

[johnnyg08]

You've created an instance where the umpire now has to make a judgment call. 

Tell your runners to avoid raising their hands in an effort to alter the play.

[maineump]

If the slide has leg and 1 buttock on the ground, I can't see how the hands up is going to effect the play. Is this the way he always slides? I see many kids sliding that way and the hands just come up naturally.

Which fielder was coming across the base? Shortstop should be beyond the base.

If he slid properly - into the base, legs down, no pop-up - I would have to see it, but by your description I have nothing.

This is a judgment call, so hard to argue on your part - the umpire saw what he saw.

[Rich Ives]

You've created an instance where the umpire now has to make a judgment call. 

Tell your runners to avoid raising their hands in an effort to alter the play.

​Tell the umpire how sliding is done. I'm not going to retrain the baseball world because one umpire doesn't know how things are done.

[Guest]

First off, I come in peace haha.  I have a question regarding interference on the runner who is sliding into second base on a double play ball.  This is for high school baseball.  I know that my runner is not allowed to slide past, pop up, or slide away from the bag as this violates the slide rule, but had one happen to me the other day that is a first.  Close play on my runner going into second as he was stealing.  As he was sliding he raises his hands up in the air and his arms are around the belly button of the fielder who makes the throw to first.  The plate umpire comes out and rules that the runner going to first is out for interference on my sliding runner as he raised his hands up in the air.  The ball did not hit his hands or anything like that and from my angle the play was not altered.  I of course asked him for an explanation and his response was that as soon as the runner raises his hands in the air that he is out for interference and so is the runner going into first.  No further questioning from me as there is nothing else to ask, but this seems odd to me as the runner did not interfere with any aspect of the play.

In FED ball, any act, verbal or physical, that "hinders or confuses" a player that is making a play is considered interference. For what purpose did your runner raise his hands? Clearly in the umpire's judgement it was an illegal action to attempt to break up a possible double play. From your description I would have called the same thing.

[Kevin_K]

If in the judgment of the PU the runner's actions altered your middle infielder's ability to make a play on BR at 1B, he can rule interference on the runner and get a second out at first base

[johnnyg08]

​Tell the umpire how sliding is done. I'm not going to retrain the baseball world because one umpire doesn't know how things are done.

I've seen lots of slides.  Going in hands high can certainly be a case for FPSR interference.

[ElkOil]

In FED ball, any act, verbal or physical, that "hinders or confuses" a player that is making a play is considered interference. For what purpose did your runner raise his hands? Clearly in the umpire's judgement it was an illegal action to attempt to break up a possible double play. From your description I would have called the same thing.

​Yes, but the act needs to actually hinder or confuse (or interfere, obstruct or impede).  If none of those things happened, there is no interference.  The slide was certainly legal, as well.  I've got nothing without seeing it in-person.

And in this case, if BR was out on the throw, it's a moot point, because the play was completed.

[johnnyg08]

​Yes, but the act needs to actually hinder or confuse (or interfere, obstruct or impede).  If none of those things happened, there is no interference.  The slide was certainly legal, as well.  I've got nothing without seeing it in-person.

And in this case, if BR was out on the throw, it's a moot point, because the play was completed.

​Not necessarily.  If there was a runner on third, due to the interference we'd have to return the runner to third base.

[grayhawk]

Runners put their hands up all the time when they slide.  If it's in the normal act of sliding, this is nothing.  I would have to see the runner try to reach into the path of the throw for me to call it, and even then, only if I felt it hindered the fielder.

[grayhawk]

By the way Coach, there is a TON of misunderstanding out there regarding "sliding past" and "popping up."  Here are the facts:

1.  Sliding past is not, in and of itself, illegal.  If he slides past AND THEN makes contact or alters the play, we have interference.  I see runners slide past all the time with the fielder still on the bag.  As long as the rest of the slide is legal (straight into the bag, one leg and one buttock on the ground, foot below the knee, and not otherwise malicious), then this is nothing.  Unfortunately, there are many uninformed umpires that will still call FPSR for sliding past when it's perfectly legal to do so.

2.  Popping up is perfectly legal as long as it's not into the fielder.  Again, uninformed umpires will call FPSR for the simply act of popping up when the fielder is nowhere near the bag.

Hope this helps.

[VAUmp]

What if, for instance, they slide with their hands up.  The SS or 2B come across and the throw hits R1 in the hands?

 

Interference? 

 

 

[noumpere]

Runners put their hands up all the time when they slide.  If it's in the normal act of sliding, this is nothing.  I would have to see the runner try to reach into the path of the throw for me to call it, and even then, only if I felt it hindered the fielder.

​I have see runners slide with the hands in the air -- and it's nothing.  I have seen runners slide with the HANDS IN THE AIR and it's something.

 

Just from the description, I can't tell.

[maven]

 

 

[maven]

What if, for instance, they slide with their hands up.  The SS or 2B come across and the throw hits R1 in the hands?

 

Interference? 

 

 

​Possibly. INT with a thrown ball must be intentional, so you can get that if that's what you judge.

[johnnyg08]

​I have see runners slide with the hands in the air -- and it's nothing.  I have seen runners slide with the HANDS IN THE AIR and it's something.

 

Just from the description, I can't tell.

​That's my entire point.  You can't say it's nothing anymore than you can say that it's something.  So...that being said, the umpire could very well have been within the rules to get FPSR.

[ZebraStripes]

In FED ball, any act, verbal or physical, that "hinders or confuses" a player that is making a play is considered interference. For what purpose did your runner raise his hands? Clearly in the umpire's judgement it was an illegal action to attempt to break up a possible double play. From your description I would have called the same thing.

​I raise my hands up some when sliding to keep from jamming them or getting them stepped on around the bag...not to hinder or confuse, but to reduce the risk of my injury.  And you will also see a batting glove in each hand.

Edited May 11, 2015 by ZebraStripes

[grayhawk]

​That's my entire point.  You can't say it's nothing anymore than you can say that it's something.  So...that being said, the umpire could very well have been within the rules to get FPSR.

​I disagree.  The ONLY way interference should be called is if the throw hit the runner's hand, and even then it's not FPSR, it's interference by a retired runner.  I can't envision any scenario where FPSR should be called for the simple matter of the runner having his hands up if his slide is otherwise legal.

[johnnyg08]

Okay, I will give you that...probably not FPSR by definition...valid point.  Same result though.  (possibly)

[maven]

​I disagree.  The ONLY way interference should be called is if the throw hit the runner's hand, and even then it's not FPSR, it's interference by a retired runner.  I can't envision any scenario where FPSR should be called for the simple matter of the runner having his hands up if his slide is otherwise legal.

​I thought about posting the same thing and decided it's moot: if I rule INT here in FED, I'm going to get 2 outs anyway (since a DP was obviously possible), so the outcome will be indistinguishable from an FPSR violation. A distinction without a difference is not worth arguing about.

[spiritump]

First off, I come in peace haha.  I have a question regarding interference on the runner who is sliding into second base on a double play ball.  This is for high school baseball.  I know that my runner is not allowed to slide past, pop up, or slide away from the bag as this violates the slide rule, but had one happen to me the other day that is a first.  Close play on my runner going into second as he was stealing.  As he was sliding he raises his hands up in the air and his arms are around the belly button of the fielder who makes the throw to first.  The plate umpire comes out and rules that the runner going to first is out for interference on my sliding runner as he raised his hands up in the air.  The ball did not hit his hands or anything like that and from my angle the play was not altered.  I of course asked him for an explanation and his response was that as soon as the runner raises his hands in the air that he is out for interference and so is the runner going into first.  No further questioning from me as there is nothing else to ask, but this seems odd to me as the runner did not interfere with any aspect of the play.

​In my opinion you got screwed by a umpire who did not know how to interpret the rule 

[grayhawk]

​I thought about posting the same thing and decided it's moot: if I rule INT here in FED, I'm going to get 2 outs anyway (since a DP was obviously possible), so the outcome will be indistinguishable from an FPSR violation. A distinction without a difference is not worth arguing about.

​I agree with you.  I posted it because FPSR is confusing enough for most folks, so I wanted to be sure that this farcical idea of sliding with the hands up being a violation of FPSR was identified.

[JonnyCat]

​I agree with you.  I posted it because FPSR is confusing enough for most folks, so I wanted to be sure that this farcical idea of sliding with the hands up being a violation of FPSR was identified.

​Mmmmmm, Farcicals, especially on a hot summer day!

[ricka56]

As he was sliding he raises his hands up in the air and his arms are around the belly button of the fielder who makes the throw to first. 

​Hands in the air might be interference, but what's with the "arms are around the belly button of the fielder who makes the throw to first".  

You say, from your angle the play wasn't altered...From the umpire's angle it was...
 

[johnnyg08]

​I agree with you.  I posted it because FPSR is confusing enough for most folks, so I wanted to be sure that this farcical idea of sliding with the hands up being a violation of FPSR was identified.

​Under OBR, we could have Willful and deliberate interference w/ the intent to break up a double play.

[grayhawk]

​Under OBR, we could have Willful and deliberate interference w/ the intent to break up a double play.

​With no contact with either the fielder or the ball?  I think not.  This was a runner who was sliding.  Was the shortstop Herve Villechaize?