ASA senior slow pitch
2016/7/15 16:53:18
Question
R1 on 3rd. R2 on 1st. No outs. Batter hits a sharp grounder to F6, who checks R1, and throws to F4 for the first out. At that point R1, without running toward home, yells "home", "home", in an obvious and successful attempt to distract F4 from the double play opportunity. If the umpire determines that an interference call is appropriate to which runner or runners should the penalty be applied - to R1 at 3rd, the batter-runner, or both?
Answer
Hi John,
These type of qs are most easily answered by seeing the play however...
Interference can be verbal and some umpires MIGHT call this 1, but probably (almost certainly) not me. Unless R1 is screaming something an umpire might say, such as "TIME, TIME",or "DEAD BALL, etc" I just don't see this as rising to "verbal interference", a little bush league but not interference. In this particular play F4 should also IMO as an umpire have an appreciation of the totality of the play going on around them and react accordingly.
IF an umpire called interference, I'm going to let them deal w/ the outs because as I say I'm not calling this one, however I really don't see how you are going to get the 1 (R2) and then 2 more on this.
Mark
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