Batters and Catchers

[Centerville_FP]

What is the ASA rule in regards to a catcher throwing down to 3rd with a right handed batter or down to first with a left handed batter.

I have seen batters instructed to step in front of the catcher. I have heard coaches tell their batters to stay still and make the catcher push her out of the way.

Right now my catcher either throws from her knees or steps back behind the batter to make the throw. Different teams have used different strategies to block her view or the throw itself. I want to teach her the rule so she knows what she should do. I know what my college catcher would do!

This is 10u by the way - not that it matters.

 

[Captain_Thunder]

Batter has the right to stay in the box. If she moves, then she can be called for Interference...........

 

[BretMan2]

The batter can maintain her "batting position" in the batter's box following a pitch. This could include her position when taking a pitch, or her normal swing and follow through.

It is batter interference if the batter impedes the catcher's throw by moving from that position within the batter's box, or by stepping out of the box.

I see this all the time: Right hand batter, runner on third. Pitch comes in and batter immediately swings one foot out of the box to face the third base coach, as if to get her sign. Since that isn't a "normal batting position" the batter is at risk of an interference call if that position impedes the catcher's throw to third base. It's not automatically interference. There must be a throw, or at least an attempt to make a throw, and that throw/attempt must be impeded in some way.

This exact thing happened in a tournament a couple of weeks ago and I called the batter out. Coach began arguing that it wasn't interference because the batter had one foot in the batter's box. Sorry...that's not the rule.

I see this so often that I almost have to assume that coaches are teaching it to purposely obstruct the catcher's throwing lane. But I will let the coaches debate that point...

Also, I would not advise that catcher's try "pushing the batter out of the way" especially if the batter is in the legal batting position afforded by the rules. Doing so could be construed as unsportsmanlike or malicious contact and possibly lead to an ejection.

 

[Centerville_FP]

I have been teaching her to hold the ball but it sounds like she needs to go ahead and attempt to throw it and hope for the best.

I agree that batters are being instructed, especially when the same batter moves to the back of the batters box when my catcher steps behind her then moves across the plate when she attempts to through from her knees or move up instead of back. It seems to be happening more and more and way more that when my older girls played...

 

[OhPhat]

What's the ruling here? if the throw is made and the runner is out on the tag, is the batter just warned of the interference or would she be out also? If the throw is arrant or out is not made is the batter out and runner returns to original base?

 

[Comp]

If the umpire ruled interference, the ball is dead immediately and nothing can happen after that point. In essence, the throw never happened and no tag, errant throw etc can happen once interference is called. The player committing the interference is the one that is out, all runners return to the last base touched at the time of the interference. Now, if say the batter had just struck out on the pitch and then interfered, you now have interference by a retired offensive player. Since the batter cannot be out twice, the out now transfers to the runner closest to home.

One other variable on interference rules, in USA softball, on a pop fly, fair or foul catchable with normal effort if a runner interferes with a player attempting to catch the ball both the runner committing the interference and the batter are out.