Interference with a Batted Ball- Little League

[Ssagner42]

In Little League, and all other rules codes, I know that the pitcher is excepted from a batted ball having gone by an infielder for the purposes of the runners interference with a batted ball rule. My issue is that I can’t find anything that explicitly states that. Is there an official interpretation book for Little League that says the pitcher is excepted? Or is there a rule that actually says the pitcher is excepted and I am just not finding it?

Thank you in advance!

[Coach Carl]

The short answer is the pitcher is not an infielder.

Note that 7.09(k) uses "fielder" and "infielder".  The terms are not interchangeable.  A fielder is any defensive player.  An Infielder is the first, second and third baseman and the shortstop.

The rules are not explicit, but:

The rules define:  infielder, outfielder, pitcher, catcher.  It is not explicit that an infielder is only each of the basemen plus the shortstop but by defining the position of pitcher and catcher you can deduce that they are not infielders.

You can also deduce it by reading the definition of Infield Fly.  The rule explicitly states that "the pitcher, catcher, and any outfielder stationed in the infield on the play shall be considered infielders for the purposes of this rule."  If pitchers were already considered infielders there wouldn't be any reason to add this statement to the infield fly rule.

[Jay R.]

Tangential: Remember that in LL (as in MLB, but not as in high school) for the purposes of interference the ball has to be hit "through or by" the infielder, not merely past them.

[beerguy55]

11 minutes ago, Jay R. said:

Tangential: Remember that in LL (as in MLB, but not as in high school) for the purposes of interference the ball has to be hit "through or by" the infielder, not merely past them.

I was kind of thinking about that - you'd literally never have interference on the runner if the pitcher is an infielder, because almost every batted ball goes past them.

[jimurrayalterego]

3 hours ago, Coach Carl said:

The short answer is the pitcher is not an infielder.

Note that 7.09(k) uses "fielder" and "infielder".  The terms are not interchangeable.  A fielder is any defensive player.  An Infielder is the first, second and third baseman and the shortstop.

The rules are not explicit, but:

The rules define:  infielder, outfielder, pitcher, catcher.  It is not explicit that an infielder is only each of the basemen plus the shortstop but by defining the position of pitcher and catcher you can deduce that they are not infielders.

You can also deduce it by reading the definition of Infield Fly.  The rule explicitly states that "the pitcher, catcher, and any outfielder stationed in the infield on the play shall be considered infielders for the purposes of this rule."  If pitchers were already considered infielders there wouldn't be any reason to add this statement to the infield fly rule.

There are also references to "infielder other than the pitcher" and "fielder other than the pitcher" in rule 5 and 6 concerning when the ball becomes dead and when a batter is awarded 1B when a batted ball touches a runner or umpire. Those would allow you to infer the exception to the pitcher even if he is called an infieder.