eOfficials
Baseball Rules
Mini Clinic
With
Rick Roder
Friday, January 9, 2009
Presentation includes narration; please turn up your volume.
Welcome!
Presentation includes narration; please turn up your volume.
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Clinics are posted every week at ESO “Online Training.”
Questions are submitted by umpires via email.
For each week’s play you’ll be asked to “make the call.”
Use PAUSE button to read options in any frame.
Rules, sources, mechanics, helpful hints provided.
Rule differences (pro, NFHS, NCAA) will be noted.
Bonus: Monthly quiz posted last Friday of month.
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January 9, 2009: Kyle McNeely
R3, pop fly on the infield
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Catcher misses the fly ball
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Ball spin + bad hop = ball “passes” catcher
(untouched) toward home plate
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Ball touches R3 on fair terr. before he scores
(fair ball)
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Ball continues into foul territory
Relevant Questions: Interference or Not?
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Is catcher considered an “infielder”?
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Has the batted ball “passed” an infielder
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If “yes” then is the ball in play with
no interference?
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If this is interference, then why so?
What’s your ruling?
a. No interference; this is a batted ball that has passed
an infielder and then touched a runner behind him
with no other infielder having a play. Play stands.
b. Interference; the catcher is not an infielder.
c. Interference; catcher is an infielder on this play, but it
is not the same as a batted ball headed for outfield.
d. Foul ball; ball ended up in foul territory.
Correct Answer:
a. No interference; this is a batted ball that has passed
an infielder and then touched a runner behind him
with no other infielder having a play. Play stands.
b. Interference; the catcher is not an infielder.
c. Interference; catcher is an infielder on this play,
but it is not the same as a batted ball headed for
outfield.
d. Foul ball; ball ended up in foul territory.
If the catcher is considered an infielder on this play, then
why do these rules not apply to this case?
NFHS: 5-1-1f, 8-4-2k
NCAA: 6-1-c, 6-2-e, 8-5-k
OBR: 5.09f, 6.08d, 6.09c, 7.09k
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Batted ball has passed infielder(s)
Ball was not touched
No other infielder has a play opportunity
Ball touches the runner
Ball is in play; no interference.
Spirit of the Rule
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Intent is to NOT penalize runner on base hit
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Runner is hurting his own cause
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I like NCAA rule, “…ball has passed all infielders…”
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Is R3 in our play gaining an advantage?
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Try to think of a few.
Advantages gained:
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If R3 avoids ball, it will be foul and R3 cannot score.
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R3 might knock the ball farther away from fielders,
allowing BR extra bases.
Thus, it is not the same play as batted ball headed to
outfield.
Keep in mind
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Ball must be fair for interference.
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Over foul territory (unintentional): foul ball.
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Intent = interference.
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Get in position: third baseline-extended.
Thank you for participating!
Next ESO Mini Clinic: Approx. Jan. 23, 2009
Please email rule questions to [email protected]