Situation # 13: Runner Interference

            Baseball is essentially a non-contact sport but collisions do occur occasionally and it’s the umpire’s job to determine who has the right-of-way.

            A fielder must be protected while in the act of fielding a batted ball. As you can see in this first play, the second baseman is attempting to secure the ball when the runner collides with him…knocking the ball loose. In this play, time should be called immediately and the runner should be called out for the interference. Other runners would be returned bases occupied at the time of the interference.

            As the umpire, you must know exactly what to look for. You must quickly determine whether the fielder was in the act of fielding the batted ball or if the fielder had completed the act of fielding and was in the act of tagging the runner when the contact occurred. In other words, had the “act of fielding” ended? If it had (as illustrated in this second play) the contact with the fielder was legal under pro rules and the ball remains alive and in play.

            A natural collision is legal but any intentional act to interfere with a tag attempt (such as slapping at the ball or throwing an elbow into the fielder) would be penalized as interference.