FAIR / FOUL BALL
QUESTION: In high school, baseball and softball, batter hits a fair line drive directly over the third base bag which then falls untouched on foul ground down the left field line. Is this a fair or foul ball?
ANSWER: Foul ball; despite passing over the bag fair in flight, the ball is judged foul on when it initially contacts the ground. If batted ball first bounced fair then went over the bag and landed foul, that would be considered a fair ball based upon initial bounce and secondary action passing over bag (BB- Rule 2, Sec. 16, Art. 1; SB – Rule 2, Sec. 25, Art. 1).
QUESTION: Batted ball goes fair in front of home plate then backspin causes ball to reverse direction and settles on home plate untouched by any defensive player. Fair or foul ball?
ANSWER: Fair ball; umpire judges batted ball when it comes to rest. Umpire does not call fair ball; umpire will point only and signal fair. (BB-Rule 2, Sec. 5, Art. 1, a; SB- Rule 2, Sec. 20, Art. 1, a).
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INTERFERENCE
QUESTION: In high school, baseball and softball, runner on first base; batter grounds to second base person. Does the runner have right to base path or does fielder have right to make a play on the ball? If runner accidentally bumps into the fielder, is this incidental contact without penalty?
ANSWER: Defense has initial right to field ball and make a play; hence, runner has choice to stop / avoid, run behind, retreat or give oneself up? It is responsibility of runner to allow fielder to make initial play. Bumping action results in interference; dead ball, runner is out and batter-runner gains first base award. If action was judged to be intentional, umpire can rule double play on interference (BB- Rule 8, Sec. 4, Art. 2, g; SB- Rule 8, Sec. 6, Art. 10, a).
QUESTION: Runner on first base; batter-runner lines a single to outfield. The throw from the outfielder contacts base umpire or the base runner advancing to third base. Is this a type of interference? Is ball dead if it contacts base umpire in this play? Is this a delayed dead ball?
ANSWER: Live ball despite contact with runner or umpire. If umpire judged runner deliberately allowed himself/ herself to be hit by ball, interference would be called and runner would be called out in dead ball play (BB- Rule 2, Sec. 21, Art. 1 & 2; SB- Rule 2, Sec. 32).
