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.

[Replacematt]

​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...

​It doesn't matter. If a slide is legal, then the slide can legally alter the fielder's actions. If I see hands up and I judge it to be deliberate, that's INT, but legally sliding with your hands up and unintentionally deflecting the ball or contacting the fielder are not INT.

[johnnyg08]

​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?

​Agree, but w/o seeing the play we can't say that it isn't any more than it is.

[grayhawk]

​Agree, but w/o seeing the play we can't say that it isn't any more than it is.

​I'm with you, it's just these parts of the OP that bother me:

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.

It sounds like the umpire is under the impression that the simple act of raising the hands is an FPSR violation, and that the BR is automatically out even though the runner didn't hinder the defense at all.

[johnnyg08]

 

​I'm with you, it's just these parts of the OP that bother me:

 

It sounds like the umpire is under the impression that the simple act of raising the hands is an FPSR violation, and that the BR is automatically out even though the runner didn't hinder the defense at all.

​I agree.

[ricka56]

​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...

​It doesn't matter. If a slide is legal, then the slide can legally alter the fielder's actions. If I see hands up and I judge it to be deliberate, that's INT, but legally sliding with your hands up and unintentionally deflecting the ball or contacting the fielder are not INT.

​You quoted my post and didn't address the point I bolded and underlined. Hands in the air might be interference (depends on intent). But how does one unintentionally wrap their arms  around the belly button of the fielder who makes the throw to first" ?​ I don't even know what that would look like, but it sounds intentional tackle attempt to me.

[JonnyCat]

​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?

​Herve actually played second base opposite Billy Barty at shortstop. They were a formidable double play combination, second only to Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker for most DP's ever turned.

[Replacematt]

​You quoted my post and didn't address the point I bolded and underlined. Hands in the air might be interference (depends on intent). But how does one unintentionally wrap their arms  around the belly button of the fielder who makes the throw to first" ?​ I don't even know what that would look like, but it sounds intentional tackle attempt to me.

​Pretty sure I mentioned both intentional and unintentional acts in my post and the different outcomes.

[kylehutson]

​You quoted my post and didn't address the point I bolded and underlined. Hands in the air might be interference (depends on intent). But how does one unintentionally wrap their arms  around the belly button of the fielder who makes the throw to first" ?​ I don't even know what that would look like, but it sounds intentional tackle attempt to me.

I think he meant hands "around the same height as the bellybutton" of the fielder, not hands "wrapped around the bellybutton" of the fielder.