| 6.05
A batter is out when --
(a) His fair or foul fly ball (other than a foul tip) is legally caught by a fielder;
Rule 6.05(a) Comment: A fielder may reach into, but not step into, a dugout to
make a catch, and if he holds the ball, the catch shall be allowed. A fielder,
in order to make a catch on a foul ball nearing a dugout or other out-of-play
area (such as the stands), must have one or both feet on or over the playing surface
(including the lip of the dugout) and neither foot on the ground inside the dugout
or in any other out-of-play area. Ball is in play, unless the fielder, after making
a legal catch, falls into a dugout or other out-of-play area, in which case the
ball is dead. Status of runners shall be as described in Rule 7.04(c) Comment.
(b) A third strike is legally caught by the catcher; Rule 6.05(b) Comment:
"Legally caught" means in the catcher's glove before the ball touches the ground.
It is not legal if the ball lodges in his clothing or paraphernalia; or if it
touches the umpire and is caught by the catcher on the rebound. If a foul-tip
first strikes the catcher's glove and then goes on through and is caught by both
hands against his body or protector, before the ball touches the ground, it is
a strike, and if third strike, batter is out. If smothered against his body or
protector, it is a catch provided the ball struck the catcher's glove or hand
first.
(c) A third strike is not caught by the catcher when first base is
occupied before two are out;
(d) He bunts foul on third strike;
(e)
An Infield Fly is declared;
(f) He attempts to hit a third strike and the
ball touches him;
(g) His fair ball touches him before touching a fielder;
(h) After hitting or bunting a fair ball, his bat hits the ball a second
time in fair territory. The ball is dead and no runners may advance. If the batter-runner
drops his bat and the ball rolls against the bat in fair territory and, in the
umpire's judgment, there was no intention to interfere with the course of the
ball, the ball is alive and in play; Rule 6.05(h) Comment: If a bat breaks and
part of it is in fair territory and is hit by a batted ball or part of it hits
a runner or fielder, play shall continue and no interference be called. If batted
ball hits part of broken bat in foul territory, it is a foul ball.
If a whole
bat is thrown into fair territory and interferes with a defensive player attempting
to make a play, interference shall be called, whether intentional or not. In cases
where the batting helmet is accidentally hit with a batted or thrown ball, the
ball remains in play the same as if it has not hit the helmet. If a batted ball
strikes a batting helmet or any other object foreign to the natural ground while
on foul territory, it is a foul ball and the ball is dead. If, in the umpire's
judgment, there is intent on the part of a baserunner to interfere with a batted
or thrown ball by dropping the helmet or throwing it at the ball, then the runner
would be out, the ball dead and runners would return to last base legally touched.
(i) After hitting or bunting a foul ball, he intentionally deflects the course
of the ball in any manner while running to first base. The ball is dead and no
runners may advance;
(j) After a third strike or after he hits a fair ball,
he or first base is tagged before he touches first base;
(k) In running the
last half of the distance from home base to first base, while the ball is being
fielded to first base, he runs outside (to the right of) the three-foot line,
or inside (to the left of) the foul line, and in the umpire's judgment in so doing
interferes with the fielder taking the throw at first base, in which case the
ball is dead; except that he may run outside (to the right of) the threefoot line
or inside (to the left of) the foul line to avoid a fielder attempting to field
a batted ball; Rule 6.05(k) Comment: The lines marking the three-foot lane are
a part of that lane and a batter- runner is required to have both feet within
the three-foot lane or on the lines marking the lane. The batter-runner is permitted
to exit the three-foot lane by means of a step, stride, reach or slide in the
immediate vicinity of first base for the sole purpose of touching first base.
(l) An infielder intentionally drops a fair fly ball or line drive, with
first, first and second, first and third, or first, second and third base occupied
before two are out. The ball is dead and runner or runners shall return to their
original base or bases; APPROVED RULING: In this situation, the batter is not
out if the infielder permits the ball to drop untouched to the ground, except
when the Infield Fly rule applies.
(m)A preceding runner shall, in the umpire's
judgment, intentionally interfere with a fielder who is attempting to catch a
thrown ball or to throw a ball in an attempt to complete any play: Rule 6.05(m)
Comment: The objective of this rule is to penalize the offensive team for deliberate,
unwarranted, unsportsmanlike action by the runner in leaving the baseline for
the obvious purpose of crashing the pivot man on a double play, rather than trying
to reach the base. Obviously this is an umpire's judgment play.
(n) With
two out, a runner on third base, and two strikes on the batter, the runner attempts
to steal home base on a legal pitch and the ball touches the runner in the batter's
strike zone. The umpire shall call "Strike Three," the batter is out and the run
shall not count; before two are out, the umpire shall call "Strike Three," the
ball is dead, and the run counts.
INTERFERENCE CALLS REFERENCE
I
believe interference is the toughest call an umpire has to make. It is a call
based solely on the umpire's judgment. To make a good judgment as to whether or
not interference occurred, the umpire must understand the definition as stated
in the rules so it can be recognized when it occurs. After interference is called,
the proper rule must be applied. The
definition as stated in Rule 2.00 is: "(a)
Offensive interference is an act by the team at bat which interferes with, obstructs,
impedes, hinders or confuses any fielder attempting to make a play. If the umpire
declares the batter, batter-runner, or a runner out for interference, all other
runners shall return to the last base that was in the judgment of the umpire,
legally touched at the time of the interference, unless otherwise provided by
these rules. In
the event the batter-runner has not reached first base, all runners shall return
to the base last occupied at the time of the pitch. (b)
Defensive interference is an act by a fielder which hinders or prevents a batter
from hitting a pitch." It
should be noted that (b) above is the only defensive interference. Hindering the
runner by the defense is OBSTRUCTION. How
do we interpret this rule? The key, is to focus on the phrase "interferes
with, obstructs, impedes, hinders or confuses." Those words cover a lot of
actions. The umpire, after witnessing an act by the offense must ask himself the
following question; "Did the offense interfere with, obstruct, impede, hinder
or confuse the fielder attempting to make the play?" If the answer is yes,
interference should be called. The call must be made as soon as possible. When
interference is called the ball is immediately dead and no runners may advance
beyond the base they held at the time of the interference. The umpire must be
aware of where all runners are at the time of the call. When the interference
occurs the umpire immediately calls it. You do not wait to see the outcome of
the play. Some interference
calls are easy.
Example: If a runner is hit by a batted ball he is out and
no judgment of intent is required unless he is hit by a deflected ball, or the
ball has passed on infielder, in which case the umpire must decide if he intended
to be hit to interfere, obstruct, impede, hinder or confuse the defense or if
another fielder had a play on the ball. Rule 5.09(f) and 7.08(f). Example:
A runner must avoid a fielder attempting to field a BATTED BALL. If he does not
he is guilty. This is a fairly easy call. Rule 7.09(L) and 7.08(b). The
fielder's protection begins the moment the ball is hit. That protection continues
as he completes his initial play. His protection ends if he misplays the batted
ball and has to move to recover it. Contact with the fielder is not necessary
for interference to be called. When
a ball is hit, you have to judge which fielder has the best chance to field the
ball. That fielder is then "protected" meaning; must not be interfered
with, from the time the ball leaves the bat, up through the gloving of the ball
and the act of throwing. The fielder is protected even if he started to
field the ball from outside the basepath and then moved into it to field the ball.
The runner must avoid a fielder attempting to field a batted ball.
Rule
7.09(L). He must avoid the fielder and not interfere with him during the entire
time that the fielder is in protected status and in all areas including the basepath. Rule
7.09(k) In running the last half of the distance from home base to first base
while the ball is being fielded to first base, he runs outside (to the right of)
the three foot line, or inside (to the left of) the foul line and, in the umpire's
judgment, interferes with the fielder taking the throw at first base, or attempting
to field a batted ball; The lines marking the three foot lane are a part of that
"lane" but the interpretation to be made is that a runner is required
to have both feet within the three foot "lane" or on the lines marking
the "lane." PENALTY
FOR INTERFERENCE: The
runner is out and the ball is dead. Interference
is the act of hindering or obstructing a fielder attempting to make a play. A
"Play" is the act of throwing, or attempting a tag of a runner or a
base, or an attempt to catch a throw. Difficult
calls are the ones involving thrown balls. Interference with a thrown ball must
be judged as an intentional act. Rule 7.08(b), 7.09(L). If a runner is
hit by a thrown ball while running the bases, he is not out unless the Umpire
judges that the runner intentionally interfered, obstructed, hindered or confused
the defense attempting to make a play. Some
examples of interference are:
Yelling at a fielder as he attempts a catch
or play (Note that the rule states "the team at bat.." This includes
coaches and players on the bench.
Waving his arms to distract the fielder
Making contact with the fielder as he attempts a throw
Making contact or otherwise
interfering with the fielder as he attempts to catch a batted ball
Making
INTENTIONAL contact with a fielder as he attempts to catch a thrown ball. The
runner has a right to the base path except when a fielder is attempting to field
a BATTED ball
Making INTENTIONAL contact with a thrown ball
Stopping directly
in front of a fielder attempting to field a ground ball |
