ASA Softball Pop-up Near Home Plate

[PCMAY]

This occurred in our co-ed slowpitch softball game the other night.

Facts:
1) Pop up about 8 to 10 feet in front of home plate near first base line in fair territory.
2) Catcher runs to get ball and jostles runner in the process.
3) Ball lands fair then rolls foul untouched.
5) League uses ASA rules
6) In my opinion, the catcher could have caught the ball had it not been for the runner

Actual call: Ump awards base runner first base for obstruction by the catcher.

First thought: Interference by the batter.
Second thought: Simply a foul ball.

What's the proper call?

 

[KenD17]

No way it it obstruction since the fielder has the right of way. Since the ball was never touched, it's a foul ball since interference is a judgement call.

 

[eddieq]

Had to be there as it's all umpire's judgement...

But, if the catcher is the protected fielder there (umpire judges that the catcher had the best opportunity to field the batted ball) then you have interference on the batter-runner. Dead ball, batter-runner is out. Everyone else returns.

If the umpire had protected a different fielder (such as the pitcher or the first baseman), then the catcher is guilty of obstruction and you protect the runner between home and first. But, since the ball ended up being foul, it's just a foul ball. If there were two strikes, the batter runner is out on strikes.

 

[PCMAY]

The only player on the field that could have caught the ball was the catcher.
The ball probably never got over 10 to 12 feet.
I was the pitcher and I didn't even try to get it.

 

[PCMAY]

I probably won't have argued with a foul ball call ... but I was shocked when the ump called obstruction and awarded the batter first base.

 

[rhound50]

As was said before obstruction and awarding first base is the completely wrong call. The fielder has a right to field a batted ball assuming they are the most likely to field the ball (protected fielder). It is the responsibility of the batter/runners to allow the fielder to field a batted ball without interfering with the fielders ability to make a play. The common misconception is that the runner is protected from interference if he/she is running in the baseline which it totally untrue. By the definition of obstruction, obstruction occurs when the a fielder impedes the progress of the runner. If the ball is foul a runner can make no progress so therefore can't be obstructed. There are two correct calls here based on the umpires judgement.

1. If the umpire deemed that the catcher could have made a play without the batter/runners actions on the play the batter should be called out and the runners (if any) should return to their bases.
2. If the umpire doesn't believe the catcher could make a play it should be a foul ball.

 

[BretMan]

There used to be a case play or rule supplement in the ASA book about a similar play.

On a batted ball right in the vicinity of the plate, if the catcher/batter contact is on their first steps out of the box, then it was neither obstruction or interference. The reasoning was that "both players were doing what they were supposed to be doing- the batter running directly to first base and the catcher moving directly to the ball. The interpretation noted that the layout of the field itself was such that such plays put the two players on a cross crossing collision course. Each had to cross paths to do their job.

This interpretation is also in Major League Baseball. It once came into play during the 1975 World Series
(see it here:

 

[PCMAY]

Interesting. So still foul but no fault by either player.

 

[ureout]

There used to be a case play or rule supplement in the ASA book about a similar play.

On a batted ball right in the vicinity of the plate, if the catcher/batter contact is on their first steps out of the box, then it was neither obstruction or interference. The reasoning was that "both players were doing what they were supposed to be doing- the batter running directly to first base and the catcher moving directly to the ball. The interpretation noted that the layout of the field itself was such that such plays put the two players on a cross crossing collision course. Each had to cross paths to do their job.

This interpretation is also in Major League Baseball. It once came into play during the 1975 World Series
(see it here: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dRw2_KvHcPk

BretMan ...I have never read the ASA supplement you are talking about is it still in the book, do you have a reference number.....thx

 

[BretMan]

It was in the umpire manual section of the rule book for many years. Back a few years ago when they rewrote the umpire manual, they changed the wording a bit and removed the sample play about batter/catcher collisions around the plate. I think that the last year it was in there was 2008. In the current rule book (umpire edition) it's on page 253 under "Collision".