Another Interference question

[Guest GUEST62]

Cal Ripken 12u game. Bases Loaded, 2 out. Batter hits a fly ball between pitchers mound and  second base. F6 and R2 have some contact. F4 has come over to catch the ball. F6 now comes in and calls off F4, then drops the ball. Coaches don't argue, but you hear grumbling from stands about interference.There was no interference call made. Would you have called it?

[sdix00]

Who was the protected fielder at the time of the interference question?   

If your answer to the above is F6, did the contact interfere (even a little bit) with F6's ability to field the ball?

Edited June 9, 2015 by sdix00

[Nafxos]

HTBT, but if the ball was between F1 and F4, I probably have Type B obstruction on F6.

[maven]

Two issues to determine here: who's the protected fielder, and was he hindered.

The first is more about where the ball is (though level of play can come into it: on some teams F4 is just a warm body and F6 takes every popup he can get to).

If we protect F6, then we have to determine whether the contact constituted hindrance. Sometimes it does, but not necessarily. If he's camped out under a popup and just drops it, then it's hard to make a case that a little bump 5 seconds ago made him drop it. But if he's late getting under it, that makes it an easy INT call.

[Guest GUEST62]

I guess that leads to another question, where the fly ball was, either F6,F4 or even F1 could have reasonably gotten to it and made a play. So in a situation like that Who Is the Protected Fielder?

[StrikeToWin]

I would think whoever the umpire deems is most likely to make a play on it at any given moment.  F1 usually does not have fly ball responsibility so whoever in the umpires judgment is most likely to make a play would be the protected fielder.  That can change in a case of an F6 running over and calling off F4 but if he wasn't protected at that time, INT would not apply.

[noumpere]

I would think whoever the umpire deems is most likely to make a play on it at any given moment.  F1 usually does not have fly ball responsibility so whoever in the umpires judgment is most likely to make a play would be the protected fielder.  That can change in a case of an F6 running over and calling off F4 but if he wasn't protected at that time, INT would not apply.

​In a 12U game (and even above), they often have fly ball responsibility.

[maven]

I guess that leads to another question, where the fly ball was, either F6,F4 or even F1 could have reasonably gotten to it and made a play. So in a situation like that Who Is the Protected Fielder?

​Well, the correct but mostly unhelpful answer is: whomever the umpire protects.

The umpire should protect the fielder most likely to make the play. As mentioned, that will vary at different levels: in youth ball, F1 is often one of the better players and will have fly ball responsibilities. In that case, F1 might be protected.

In HS varsity and up, F1 almost never has fly ball responsibilities. In that case, F1 would not be protected and must get out of the way.

One thing is clear: only one fielder may be protected. The others need to avoid obstructing the runners.

[Richvee]

Without being there, it seems at the time of the bump between F6 and R2, F4 would be the protected fielder as he was moving under the ball. Now maybe F6 becomes the protected fielder when he calls off F4, but that's well after the contact with R2 and certainly didn't hinder F6's ability to call off R4 and take charge of the pop up. 

My understanding is, as a play develops, the protected fielder can change. Can we get OBS on a fielder BEFORE he becomes a protected fielder? 

[maven]

My understanding is, as a play develops, the protected fielder can change. Can we get OBS on a fielder BEFORE he becomes a protected fielder? 

​This is a bit misleading, Rich: what can change during play is our decision about which fielder to protect. It is never the case that first we protect one fielder, and he's protected for part of the play, and then we protect another fielder, who is protected for the rest of the play.

One fielder is protected for the entire act of fielding the batted ball (including a subsequent throw to make a play). Sometimes it will appear one fielder should be protected, but as the play unfolds it becomes apparent that a different fielder should be.

PBUC guidance is attached (from §7.1, old OBR references).

 

[Richvee]

​This is a bit misleading, Rich: what can change during play is our decision about which fielder to protect. It is never the case that first we protect one fielder, and he's protected for part of the play, and then we protect another fielder, who is protected for the rest of the play.

One fielder is protected for the entire act of fielding the batted ball (including a subsequent throw to make a play). Sometimes it will appear one fielder should be protected, but as the play unfolds it becomes apparent that a different fielder should be.

PBUC guidance is attached (from §7.1, old OBR references).

 

​Thanks for the clarification. So whoever we finally decide is the protected fielder on a play, he was protected throughout that entire play, even before we realized (or decided) he is the protected fielder. 

it's hard to make a case that a little bump 5 seconds ago made him drop it. But if he's late getting under it, that makes it an easy INT call.

​Still, I have a hard time with this. Let's say F4 moves in a few steps and has this pop up lined up. F6, after bumping R2 comes charging over, calling off F4 on the way. Gets there a bit late and has to stretch, almost dive and misses the pop up. Do we protect him and call INT because he was late getting there because of the bump, even though F4 was under the ball and called off by an over-aggressive F6 calling for a pop up he really didn't have? 

 

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[noumpere]

`

My understanding is, as a play develops, the protected fielder can change. Can we get OBS on a fielder BEFORE he becomes a protected fielder? 

​Yes, we can.

 

And, I agree with you that the protected fielder can change during the play.

 

Otherwise, when the first contact occurs, you'd have to announce "that might be something" and then wait to see whether F6retroactively became protected and, if so, whether he was hindered.

[Richvee]

​Yes, we can.

 

And, I agree with you that the protected fielder can change during the play.

 

Otherwise, when the first contact occurs, you'd have to announce "that might be something" and then wait to see whether F6retroactively became protected and, if so, whether he was hindered.

​That made me laugh. Can you imagine an umpire seeing contact on the basepaths and pointing and saying this?!! 

[maven]

Still, I have a hard time with this. Let's say F4 moves in a few steps and has this pop up lined up. F6, after bumping R2 comes charging over, calling off F4 on the way. Gets there a bit late and has to stretch, almost dive and misses the pop up. Do we protect him and call INT because he was late getting there because of the bump, even though F4 was under the ball and called off by an over-aggressive F6 calling for a pop up he really didn't have? 

​The question of which fielder to protect is your call, Rich. If you don't protect him, the contact with R2 cannot be INT (but might be OBS — and good luck selling that one!).

[johnpatrick]

This is an interesting play that, unfortunately, the umpire does not have the luxury of waiting to see what happens to make the call.  It is "something" when it happens, not later.  It's either type B obstruction if F6 is not the protected fielder, or interference dead ball if he is.

I asked three questions regarding this play http://m.mlb.com/laa/video/topic/11493214/v35760817/must-c-collision-obstruction-in-9th/?c_id=ana (sorry didn't mean to hijack this thread) at The Umpire School this past January:

• When does an umpire make the decision to protect a fielder ANSWER: As late as possible so you can accurately determine who the protected fielder is

• Can that decision change during the course of the play  ANSWER: No

• Does the fact that another fielder catches the ball automatically shift the protection to that fielder?  ANSWER: No, your decision on who to protect is already made

 

In the MLB play the PU protected F1.  As soon as the BR veered left to avoid F3 it was type A obstruction.  I remember watching it live, and thinking I would have protected F3, but the result would have been the same.  The answers to my questions were just one persons opinion, but that person was the head rules instructor at The Umpire School and on the MLB rules committee.

 

In the OP's post I believe you have to make the decision when that contact occurs (that's as late as possible) whether F6 is the protected fielder or not.  At that point, you have to kill it and call interference or leave it live and point out the obstruction.

 

Just my 2 cents.