Running Lane Question

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This happened at a tourney this weekend:

Batter bunts in front of the plate and runs to first. Approximately 2/3ds of the way to first the catcher's throw hits her in the helmet. I was the first base coach. As the ball hit her helmet, I looked down at her foot and it was on the foul line. Umpire called her out for interference.

BTW, there was no running lane chalked out for the game but in my opinion, our runner was far enough down the line to require her to be in the running lane. My questions: Is the foul line part of the running lane or not. Do the runner's feet need to be completely inside the line for her to be considered legal?

Home plate umpire made the call. Base umpire was not in a position to see it but when I asked him about the rule, he said he wasn't sure.

 

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I think it depends on the sanction. I believe ASA no part of the body can extend inside the baseline. So if her foot was on the line it is probable that some part of her body extended inside the baseline. Other sanctions I think allow foot on the line. Makes things hard if there is not a safety bag. We will see what the experts have to say.

 

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At Toledo this weekend, the other teams player drags down the first base line. About 10 feet down the line, our 1st base gets the ball, tags runner. Runner is out, right?

Home plate ump calls interference on our 1st base. They did have a safety base in place, but no running lane and their player was running in fair territory.

What is the correct call ?

 

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The foul line is really a fair line, as the entire line is in fair territory. Past the line is foul territory..

 

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I would think out! Again may be wrong! If the ball had not passed a fielder that could have made a play, the defense has the right to make a play on the ball and runner should avoid interfering with the fielder.

Man I'm sticking my neck out today...sheww!

 

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At Toledo this weekend, the other teams player drags down the first base line. About 10 feet down the line, our 1st base gets the ball, tags runner. Runner is out, right?

Home plate ump calls interference on our 1st base. They did have a safety base in place, but no running lane and their player was running in fair territory.

What is the correct call ?

WHAT? How did the coach not get thrown out of the game for arguing with the umpire...Fielder was in the act of fielding a ball, runner must avoid the fielder, a tag on a runner could never be interference..Its a play on the runner....

 

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Bretman swoop in and make me feel idiotic..lol

 

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WHAT? How did the coach not get thrown out of the game for arguing with the umpire...Fielder was in the act of fielding a ball, runner must avoid the fielder, a tag on a runner could never be interference..Its a play on the runner....

Both myself and my asst. coach argued until blue in the face but both umps said both the fielder and the runner have a right to that area. They both told us that the running lane (which they did not have) didn't mean anything anyway that it was just there if the runner "wished" to run in it. LOL

 

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While waiting for Bret to chime in on the rules (with his always excellent interpretation)...
Here's my "prevention" theory: Teach your kids to ALWAYS run OUTSIDE the first base line. IMO, the orange "safety base" (training wheels for softball) is totally unnecessary if younger kids are taught proper base running skills. Teach them to ALWAYS BE AWARE of where they are running (practice good habits) and stay in foul territory (especially on dropped bunts) until JUST BEFORE reaching the bag, where they curl slightly towards the bag preparing to round for second. Of course the player has "picked up" where the ball is while running to first base, and they know if it's prudent to even try for second base! (sorry first base coaches )

You'll RARELY have a kid called out for interference, they'll learn to gauge their own speed limitations, AND they'll become a much better base runner in the process!

 

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Both myself and my asst. coach argued until blue in the face but both umps said both the fielder and the runner have a right to that area. They both told us that the running lane (which they did not have) didn't mean anything anyway that it was just there if the runner "wished" to run in it. LOL

I would of said:
Well as an umpire I though it was required that you had to read the rule book at least once, but after your previous comments it is now apparent that you have never even touched one before......and now I will go to the car...

 

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lol :lmao:

 

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Had this same missed call at ASA state this weekend. Had running lane and safety bag and runner interfered with play...no call! Ump said ball must hit runner but felt she did disrupt the play. Seriously!

 

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What do you expect from USSSA!? We played at the Rec Center in Toledo this past weekend and no safety bags. There were many close calls on collisions, no runners lane and no batters boxes.

Here's another example:

We're up in the game, bases loaded and the weekends best hitter in the box, two outs and we have already scored 3 in the inning.

The first pitch is a passed ball, runner at third is advancing and our batter gets out of the box towards the 3rd base dugout, catcher goes after the ball, pitcher in the baseline without the ball. Catcher makes a bad back handed toss that hits our batter who is no where near the play and she gets called out for interference.

Almost got tossed on that one and I was only a spectator. We won the game but it was a horrible call if I ever saw one.

 

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On the play in the first post:

ASA does have a little bit different interpretation of what constitutes being "in the running lane". As noted, ASA judges where the runner was hit by the ball, either in part of her body that's inside/over the running lane, or a part that's outside of the lane.

IF...this was an ASA game, and...IF...the batter-runner's head/helmet was over the running lane, then it's not interference- no matter where her feet are touching.

On the other hand, if this was pretty much any other sanction, the batter-runner being in the lane or not depends on the position of her feet. She is out of the lane if at least one foot is touching the ground entirely outside of the lane. Touching the lines constitutes being inside the running lane.

Sounds like a bad call in any sanction.

On the other play:

First off, it couldn't be interference against the defensive player. The defense obstructs, the offense interferes. If the umpire told you it was interference, he has a fundamental concept of the rules switched around backwards.

Was the first baseman fielding the batted ball? If yes, then she has the right of way here. The runner is obliged to avoid the fielder and not interfere with her attempt to field the ball.

The runner has the right of way when the fielder is NOT fielding the ball or in possession of it.

Saying that "they both have a right to that area" is a total misinterpretation of what the rule should really be.

 

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I saw an interesting call last weekend.

The lefty slapper punched the ball to the left side and took off for 1st on a fairly typical route. She was in front of the plate and made the turn only to run into the 1st baseman that had been crashing on the swing. The collision happened before the running lane started. The ball squirted through the infield in the 5/6 hole. The first baseman didn't have a play.

The field umpire called the batter out for interference and then being out of the baseline. I thought the 1st baseman should have been called for obstruction.

 

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If the first baseman was not playing the ball then she was clearly in the wrong. May I ask what sanction it was that you were playing?

I found the USSSA umpires in Toledo to be exceptionally confused on the rules this weekend. They have typically been pretty good in years past, did USSSA have a tremendous amount of rule changes over the last year? Most of the faux-pauxs went in our favor, but I was left scratching my head.

 

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If the first baseman was not playing the ball then she was clearly in the wrong. May I ask what sanction it was that you were playing?

I found the USSSA umpires in Toledo to be exceptionally confused on the rules this weekend. They have typically been pretty good in years past, did USSSA have a tremendous amount of rule changes over the last year? Most of the faux-pauxs went in our favor, but I was left scratching my head.

That's because you rarely if ever see drag bunts and slapping in baseball (USSSA). Did they call any balks on the pitchers?

 

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Did they call any balks on the pitchers?

In Toledo....I saw one believe it or not....gave the runner a base but did not give the batter a ball for an illegal pitch. I assume the ump meant illegal pitch, but he stuck with the balk terminology....lolol ;&

 

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It sounds like bad calls were the theme of the weekend!

On the "lefty slapper" play, if the fielder was not in possession of the ball, or in the act of fielding the ball, the runner has the right of way. Interference is not a viable call here. And being out of the baseline is an even less-viable call! Runners may be called out for being out of their basepath ONLY if they do so as part of their effort to avoid a tag. "A tag" requires a defensive player to be actually holding the ball and attempting to touch the runner.

On this play, I would have obstruction against the defense...UNLESS...for some reason the runner purposely deviated from her path to initiate contact which otherwise would not have happened.

Don't even get me started on calling "balks" in softball. They simply do not exist. That is a different violation from a different sport. Calling a balk in a softball game makes about as much sense as calling pass interference in a hockey game!

Both of these calls demonstrate a poor grasp of fundamental rules of the game.

 

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In the past, the Toledo Umps were pretty decent but this year the calls seemed to be terrible. Tournament itself was well ran as usual, but better umpire selection in the future will make things better.