Follow-through interference on uncaught 3rd strike

[RSMBob]

Primarily Little League but the question also applies to other levels.

2 strikes, batter swings and misses at a pitch that is uncaught and bounces in front of the catcher, catcher moves forward into the home plate area and the batter's natural follow through catches his mitt or mask.

Batter automatically out and other runners return?

I'm having a hard time with this one considering A - the catcher didn't catch it and B - the catcher moved in to the batter's natural follow through swing.

 

Thanks.

[SeeingEyeDog]

I don't work LL, no doubt someone will be along shortly with a proper rules citation...

I am aware that of all the organized youth leagues, LL operates with OBR as its base rulebook and a guiding principle of player safety, sometimes to the detriment of competition. That's fine. These are 12U players learning the game. Every rule is structured in LL to maximize safety and minimize injury. So, as described, you have the batter contacting F2's equipment possibly above the shoulders? The batter is impeding and hindering (hopefully, unintentional...) F2 from making a play on the baseball. I have the batter out here.

~Dawg

[SH0102]

14 hours ago, RSMBob said:

Primarily Little League but the question also applies to other levels.

2 strikes, batter swings and misses at a pitch that is uncaught and bounces in front of the catcher, catcher moves forward into the home plate area and the batter's natural follow through catches his mitt or mask.

Batter automatically out and other runners return?

I'm having a hard time with this one considering A - the catcher didn't catch it and B - the catcher moved in to the batter's natural follow through swing.

 

Thanks.

Rule set will matter here, but one thing is consistent. It’s automatic dead ball and batter is already out for strike 3.

in fed/NFHS, follow through interference is treated like “normal” batter INT, thus, since batter is out, a runner will be out as well, if you judge this interfered with a play.  What I mean is, if there was r1 and he wasn’t going anywhere, I’m just killing it and leave him there.  If he was trying to advance, then he will be out for the batters INT (since batter is out already for k3)

In ncaa and OBR, follow through INT is called INT but not penalized as “traditional” int, it’s a dead ball and runners remain, even if stealing.  So what r1 (in my ex) was doing is irrelevant, “Time, batter is out for k3, r1, you have to go back (or stay there)”

Ad noted above, if LL is using OBR, you have nothing here except not allowing runners to advance.

exception is if you think batter did it intentionally. This would be rare but if you judge so, then treat like normal INT and get runner too

[RSMBob]

Thanks to both of you for the replies. I'm struggling because in my mind the catcher CAUSED the interference by moving in to what I believe should be a batter's protected area. Just strange...on a backswing it's catcher interference but on a natural follow-through it's batter interference even if the catcher violates the batter's "space".

[834k3r]

3 hours ago, SH0102 said:

Rule set will matter here, but one thing is consistent. It’s automatic dead ball and batter is already out for strike 3.

in fed/NFHS, follow through interference is treated like “normal” batter INT, thus, since batter is out, a runner will be out as well, if you judge this interfered with a play.  What I mean is, if there was r1 and he wasn’t going anywhere, I’m just killing it and leave him there.  If he was trying to advance, then he will be out for the batters INT (since batter is out already for k3)

In ncaa and OBR, follow through INT is called INT but not penalized as “traditional” int, it’s a dead ball and runners remain, even if stealing.  So what r1 (in my ex) was doing is irrelevant, “Time, batter is out for k3, r1, you have to go back (or stay there)”

Ad noted above, if LL is using OBR, you have nothing here except not allowing runners to advance.

exception is if you think batter did it intentionally. This would be rare but if you judge so, then treat like normal INT and get runner too

If there was a runner on 1B, the dropped third only applies with 2 out in LL, OBR, and NFHS. If the batter's out for BI, then you have a third out and the end of the half inning.

[noumpere]

1 hour ago, RSMBob said:

Thanks to both of you for the replies. I'm struggling because in my mind the catcher CAUSED the interference by moving in to what I believe should be a batter's protected area. Just strange...on a backswing it's catcher interference but on a natural follow-through it's batter interference even if the catcher violates the batter's "space".

A natural follow-through is not all the way around to over the plate again.