In front of 1B but that's where 1B plays 99% of the time in this game I think ... though I don't think she had any play on the ball herself from where she was ...
That's where I figured F3 would be, but just wanted to check.
So, what you have here...
- Batted ball has passed a fielder (F3).
- No other fielder behind the runner had a chance to make a play.
Ruling: Runner not out, live ball, play on...get what you get!
Probably the biggest argument and coach blow-up I've had all year involved almost this exact same play. Runner on first, ball hit to the right side. Runner takes off, F3 lunges for the ball, it goes past her, then hits the runner. No other fielder behind the runner had a play.
When I
didn't call the runner out, the defensive coach about blew a gasket. Then the fans started in on me. It got pretty brutal, including having to dodge angry fans all the way to my car after the game.
But that was the right call. The misconception is that anytime a runner gets hit with a batted ball that the runner is out...no matter what. That's not always the case. It might help to think of it this way...
Runners get called out for interference when they do something that actually prevents the defense from recording an out. If a runner prevents an out, we penalize them with an out. But we don't hand out "freebies" to the defense when whatever the runner did does not prevent an out!
In the case of the runner getting hit
before the ball passes a fielder, the rules give the benefit of the doubt to the defense. Did the runner really prevent an out by getting hit? Well, we don't know for sure because she stopped or deflected the ball before the defense had a chance to make a play. But since the defense's opportunity to play the ball was impeded, we tilt the scale in their favor and call the runner out.
When the ball has already passed a fielder...the defense had their chance! Once the ball is past the fielder, the defense's opportunity to make a play has passed...u
nless there happens to be another fielder behind the runner with another chance to make a play (which means actually record an out, not just field or reach the ball). So, if it has passed the fielder and no one else has a play, the runner is
not out, because she didn't impede the defense's opportunity to get an out.