Obstruction or Interference

Question
QUESTION: My daughter for two straignt games in a row is playing shortstop fielding a batted ball where a runner from second on her way to third runs right into the path of the ball where my daughter has to stop to avoid colliding with the runner.  In both cases after the play she was told she "chose" to slow down or stop.  Had she run into the player then and only then would it have been interference.
To me this is wrong.  To me she has a right to field a "batted ball" the runner should not interfere period.
Am I wrong here?

ANSWER: Hi Eugene,  

Interference is the act of an offense player that impedes, hinders or confuses a defensive player attempting to execute a play.

A defensive player does indeed have the right to field a batted ball anywhere on the playing field w/out being hindered.  The offensive player must vacate or not enter any space needed for the play to be executed.  Interference is also not dependent on if there is contact.  A collision is not necessary for interference and in fact we pretty much don't want that to happen.

based on your facts that your DD was unable to field a batted ball because she was hindered or impeded by a runner, I would have interference.

Mark

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Dr. Ambrose,

Thank you for affirming what I thought.
This leads me to my next question.  
Same game---My daughter at shortstop. a towering pop fly is hit between right field and short (more towards shortstop).  My daughter "sighting" the ball turns and runs back to make the catch.  As she has her head turned to the ball running backward, she gets tangled up (contact)with this same ump who made the bad calls.

After the play, one where she could have easily reach and made the catch, the ball drops and the runners advance.
We asked the home plate ump why wasn't this interference.  He said the ump is part of the playing field and it is up to the defender to maneuver around the ump.

Again, I thought the ump was wrong and believe this should have been a dead ball.  The hitting team should not benefit from the umps interference.
What should have been the call?

Answer
Hi Eugene,

well you were batting 1000 but now you're down to .500.  There are only a very few umpire interference situations and this isn't one of them.  The umpire is part of the field in this case and if a fielder gets tangled up with one, it's nothing.  Ball remains live and we play on.

I might mention it also works the other way, if somehow a runner and and umpire get "dancing" it's nothing, we play on.

Mark