Interference

[Guest Yankeesfan]

As the second baseman settles to catch a high pop fly, the runner from first base makes contact with him:

A. The ball is dead immediately

B. If he catches it, the ball stays live and in play

C. It is a delayed dead ball

 

Which is the correct answer?

 

[Tborze]

A

[maven]

The best, if not completely correct, answer is A.

The exception would be a play, for example where F4 runs into R1 stealing, and the ball is hit down the RF line where likely F4 would have the best play on it (so he's protected).

We'd leave the ball live after that contact in order to determine its fair/foul status. At that point, it would become dead, and we'd enforce the INT. The ball could not be caught for an out, and its fair/foul status would dictate what we did with the BR.

[Thunderheads]

Next step ..... (from the OP)

R1 is out for interference, batter gets 1st base? (why do I feel I'm missing something)?  

[maven]

9 hours ago, Thunderheads said:

Next step ..... (from the OP)

R1 is out for interference, batter gets 1st base? (why do I feel I'm missing something)?  

Fair ball, yes. Foul ball, batter returns to plate.

The usual case would be contact closer to 2B, so an obvious fair ball.

[flyingron]

The question is had he not been interfered with and caught it, would he have been able to appeal R1 before he could have returned to first.    Unless the infield was shifted way toward first, that's a possibility if the ball was close to being caught when the interference occurred.

[Replacematt]

1 hour ago, flyingron said:

The question is had he not been interfered with and caught it, would he have been able to appeal R1 before he could have returned to first.    Unless the infield was shifted way toward first, that's a possibility if the ball was close to being caught when the interference occurred.

That has no bearing on the status of the ball. 

[noumpere]

1 hour ago, Matt said:

That has no bearing on the status of the ball. 

It does mean you could get two outs in FED (which, I agree, is not part of the question)

[lawump]

I don't think anyone has mentioned it in this thread, yet.  But the question in the OP is from this year's (2022) NFHS test.