Hit ball touches runner

[fester]

8u. I'm the plate umpire. Runner at 3rd 1 out. A hit ball goes about six feet in the air with an extreme back spin. The ball hits between the pitcher and catcher and starts to roll to home plate. Pitcher can't get the ball and runner at 3rd is coming home. The runner slides into home safely, then the ball hits him. I call him safe since he had already scored and the batter stays at 1st.

I know the ball must pass an infielder, not the pitcher, before the ball can hit a runner. How did I do?

[nwsquid]

Sounds to me like you are saying the ball would have rolled foul had the runner (now just a teammate since he has legally acquired home plate) not touched it.

That may be an out by strict definitions if he touched the ball in fair territory, I'd probably try and rule it a foul assuming it was a close to the foul line, send the 7 year old back to third teaching him on the way, and bringing the batter back to try again.

How'd you do?

Fabulous, you are putting time in umpiring U8 ball, and you care enough about getting calls right to be on a forum like this. Those kids don't know how blessed they are, and their parents probably don't either.

All that said, I don't have any rule/interps to back this up. Just chutzpah.

[mt 73]

Hit by a fair batted ball--I have an out.
8 year old---I may do what nwsquid posted.

[Richard_Siegel]

8u. I'm the plate umpire. Runner at 3rd 1 out. A hit ball goes about six feet in the air with an extreme back spin. The ball hits between the pitcher and catcher and starts to roll to home plate. Pitcher can't get the ball and runner at 3rd is coming home. The runner slides into home safely, then the ball hits him. I call him safe since he had already scored and the batter stays at 1st.

I know the ball must pass an infielder, not the pitcher, before the ball can hit a runner. How did I do?

If the ball touched the runner after he scored it was probably on foul territory. If no other infielder touched the ball it was a foul ball like any foul ball. It's nothing but a strike and everybody goes ball.

The part of the rule about the ball having to "pass an infielder" really only applies to runners on base going to 2B or 3B. The rationale is that the runner prevented the infielder from making a play on the ball. If a fair ball is rolling to HP from backspin then the catcher is the infielder that would be interfered with if that ball touched a runner trying to score or the batter-runner leaving HP. We see BR's called out when they are touched by their own bunted ball all the time. That ball didn't pass an infielder, right? However, once an untouched fair ball passes the foul line it becomes foul.

[fester]

Foul ball sounds good. Like you said, it was probly in foul territory.

I just enjoy being part of the kids gettings excited on their first hit or making a great catch. Big ol smiles and the parents cheering them on. '"that's my boy!.""That's Dan's boy!!"

[DaveD10]

If the ball touched the runner after he scored it was probably on foul territory. If no other infielder touched the ball it was a foul ball like any foul ball. It's nothing but a strike and everybody goes ball.

The part of the rule about the ball having to "pass an infielder" really only applies to runners on base going to 2B or 3B. The rationale is that the runner prevented the infielder from making a play on the ball. If a fair ball is rolling to HP from backspin then the catcher is the infielder that would be interfered with if that ball touched a runner trying to score or the batter-runner leaving HP. We see BR's called out when they are touched by their own bunted ball all the time. That ball didn't pass an infielder, right? However, once an untouched fair ball passes the foul line it becomes foul.

Let's say the runner is sliding to home, foot on plate and the ball then touches his hand which is in fair terrirtory - play on?

[Richard_Siegel]

Let's say the runner is sliding to home, foot on plate and the ball then touches his hand which is in fair territory - play on?

Fair ball - he's out, Foul ball - he's not.

If the ball then touches his hand which is in fair territory - dead ball and the runner is out.

[Rich_Ives]

Fair ball - he's out, Foul ball - he's not.

If the ball then touches his hand which is in fair territory - dead ball and the runner is out.

He already scored - no longer a runner - can't be out.

[Richard_Siegel]

He already scored - no longer a runner - can't be out.

That's true, but he can still cause interference which would cause a dead ball.

[BigUmp56]

Let's say the runner is sliding to home, foot on plate and the ball then touches his hand which is in fair terrirtory - play on?

I'd have to think that in an 8U game, I would leave it alone if the ball simply rolled into the kid's hand and it didn't effect the outcome of the play. That said, if the player looked to touch the ball intentionally, I'd have to kill the play and call the INT.


-- Tim.

[heyblue26]

The last two post bring out some interesting points on this type of play
agree with both on what was said. +2