How would you rule on a ball in an unfenced outfield that makes contact with someone not playing?

[orangebird]

Quite frankly I can't imagine anyone who works HS needs to worry about this but as the humble rec ball ump I've had two straight games without an outfield fence with another game and/or a soccer practice somewhere in the outfield in fair territory and could theoretically have a fair ball deflect off someone. I haven't had it happen yet, thankfully, but I was looking at that activity and definitely going "well I have no idea what'd I call if that happens" 

So...if that happens...would I rule it a ground rule double or just keep the play live? I'll ask my UIC what his guidance would be right after this but I'm curious what other people think, I can't imagine OBR covers this scenario but who knows.

[orangebird]

For added context the soccer was happening about right here. I was told this was a rain makeup where the field isn't normally double-booked but they still felt close enough where a kid could plausibly scorch a ball that'd hit a ball or player, etc

[Coach Carl]

Use Spectator Interference.  Place runners where, in your judgement, they would have advanced absent the interference.  You could also judge an out if you think it prevented a fielder from catching a fly ball.   

[SeeingEyeDog]

@orangebird, this layout and field use "plan" is sub-optimal...

Please talk with your UIC and or league leadership and or park stewardship about this situation immediately. If you have informed the appropriate personnel of this situation and they continue to schedule you to work there with that same "soccer situation" you need to turn the games back until the situation is resolved with either a fence (unlikely) or no soccer field in the outfield.

Who do you think is on their call list if someone gets hurt? The umpire(s). Why put yourself in a position to potentially have to take a phone call no umpire should ever have to take? Mind you, it's not your responsibility what others do or don't do relative to an injury but, why be in a position to take that phone call and have to discuss the facts of what you observed and have to explain what YOU and your partner did or didn't do? They can keep their fee and I'll either enjoy a night off or work elsewhere...not doing that.

~Dawg

[The Man in Blue]

Quickly change into a soccer referee uniform (they are cooler than ours anyway, NO NAVY in soccer), run to the outfield, and issue a red card.

[beerguy55]

13 hours ago, orangebird said:

For added context the soccer was happening about right here. I was told this was a rain makeup where the field isn't normally double-booked but they still felt close enough where a kid could plausibly scorch a ball that'd hit a ball or player, etc

Yeah, I'm not umping this game, I'm not coaching this game, I'm not playing this game.

If it's truly double-booked, something's gotta give...hopefully the soccer can move further away to a more safe distance.

If it's not double-booked, and they're just there because they want to be...have them clear the field, and don't start til they do. 

I'm not as much worried about a soccer player getting hit by a ball (they can usually avoid that) - I'm worried about an outfielder running while looking at the ball, colliding with a soccer player running while looking at the ball...

EDIT: I just want to clarify - there needs to be judgment here to what is reasonable and/or a risk you're willing to accept.   I've played on many fenced fields where a homerun goes into a soccer field, or another ball field, or into traffic - you accept those risks as reasonable.  I think you have to visualize here where a reasonably distanced home run fence would be, and go from there.  (I'm not talking about liability, I'm just talking about the human risk of worrying about hurting someone)

 

[MadMax]

I see your unfenced plot o’ land, and raise you an adventure course in the outfield! 

Peruse some of the entries. They’re dooozies! 🫣

[Replacematt]

57 minutes ago, MadMax said:

I see your unfenced plot o’ land, and raise you an adventure course in the outfield! 

Which is it? You can't both call and raise on the same turn.

[Velho]

Let's take this scenario up a notch:

"Then [15 year old] Rickey Henderson [relegated to JV] showed [the varsity coach] who he was. “The varsity and JV fields went back-to-back,” Atkins remembered. “There was no fence separating the two fields. The JV and varsity center fielders stood back-to-back. So you know what Rickey did? Whenever there was a fly ball to center from the varsity field, Rickey would spin around from the JV field and catch it.