Rizzo catch...

[urout17]

So we all saw the video of Rizzo's catch in the stands last night.  Since I do not umpire pro ball what is the ruling if a fan would have held Rizzo vertical on the cement wall and kept him from "falling" into the stands?  Would this still be considered fan interference?  Most HS fields I work do not have tarps to worry about and the ones that do have very specific and clear rules about not stepping on them at all.  Would it be the same call if a fan were to keep a leaning player from falling into DBT?

Thanks

[noumpere]

I didn't see the video, but a fan holding up a player is not fan interference (unless the "holding up" prevents the player from making a play, which does not seem to be what you are describing)

[Senor Azul]

Spectator interference is narrowly defined in the Definitions of Terms which is now an appendix in the back of the new rule book as:

INTERFERENCE 

 (d) Spectator interference occurs when a spectator reaches out of the stands and over the playing field, or goes on the playing field, and (1) touches a live ball or (2) touches a player and hinders an attempt to make a play on a live ball.

From the WUM:

If a fielder partially enters a spectator area while fielding a ball, he does so at his own peril. If a spectator interferes with him or the ball without coming on or over the playing field, no penalty shall apply.

To paraphrase that famous commercial slogan--what happens in the stands, stays in the stands. Players are allowed to protect their own teammates from falling into a dugout without penalty. So why not fans protecting themselves and the player in the stands?

[Thunderheads]

already being discussed ................