There are 4 types of interference:
1. Offensive interference is an act by a member of the team at bat which interferes with, obstructs, impedes, hinders or confuses any fielder attempting to make a play.
Note that interference may be caused by any member of the offensive team. A batter, runner, base coach, player in the dugout, or in the bullpen.
Note however, that the act of interference must be with a fielder "ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A PLAY."
A "PLAY" is an act of throwing, a tag attempt of a runner or a base. An out is not called unless the fielder is hindered while actually attempting to make a play. An out is not called simply because the fielder could have, or should have, or would have, or might have, had a play.
A fielder chasing after an overthrown, loose ball, is not a play. However, an out could be called if the offense did something intentional and blatant to hinder the fielder. Otherwise, it is nothing.
It is not interference, if the fielder starts to throw and then stops because an offensive player is in his way. Also, interference on a thrown ball, or throw attempt, or tag attempt, must be intentional.
Interference is judged and penalized several different ways, depending on where the interference occurs and who caused it. There are many different offensive interference situations:
The runner must avoid a
fielder who is attempting to field a batted ball.
The fielder's protection begins the moment the ball is hit. That
protection continues as he completes his initial play, up through the act
of throwing. His protection ends if he misplays the batted ball and has to
move more than a step and a reach to recover it. Umpire school manual.
Contact with the fielder is
not necessary for interference to be called. If the runner does not avoid
the fielder, the ball is dead and he is out. No other runners may advance
beyond the base they last held at the time of the interference. Rule
7.09(L). If the batter-runner has not reached first base, runners remain
at their bases held at the time-of-pitch. 7.08(b)
If a fielder is in the base path and attempting to field a batted ball, the runner must avoid him. The fielder is protected even if he is not in the path and then moves into the path. The runner has the responsibility to avoid the fielder wherever he may move to try to field the ball. If the runner does not avoid the fielder, it is interference whether the act was intentional or not. 7.08(b).
If a fielder is not in the base path, the runner is considered to have avoided the fielder, if the runner stays in the path. Running in the base path in front of a fielder, who is not in the path, is NOT interference. The runner has a right to the path when the fielder is not in the path. However, the runner must simply run in the path. If he does something while in the path that, in the umpire’s judgment, was intent to hinder or interfere with the fielder, he may be called out even while in the path or after having avoided the fielder.
Difficult calls are the ones
involving thrown balls. Interference with a thrown ball must be judged as
an intentional act. Rule 7.08(b), 7.09(L). If a thrown ball hits a runner
while running the bases, the runner is not out unless the umpire judges
that the runner intentionally interfered, obstructed, hindered or confused
the defense attempting to make a play.
Some examples of interference
are:
1. Yelling at a fielder as he attempts a catch or play (Note that the rule states "the team at bat." This includes coaches and players on the bench)
2. Waving his arms to distract the fielder
3. Making contact with the fielder as he attempts a throw (except during a legal slide. A legal slide is one in which the runner slides into the base within reach of an arm or foot and touches the ground before reaching the base)
4. Making contact with the fielder as he attempts to catch a batted ball
5. Making INTENTIONAL contact with a fielder as he attempts to catch a thrown ball. The runner has a right to the base path except when a fielder is attempting to field a BATTED ball
6. Making INTENTIONAL contact with a thrown ball
7. Stopping directly in front of a fielder attempting to field a ground ball with no good reason
There can be interference with
a play or without a play. An out is only called when there is interference
with a play. On interference with no play, the
ball is dead and runners may not advance, but there is no out call.
A PLAY is:
1. A tag or tag try of a runner
2. Tag or tag try of a base
3. Throw to another fielder in a try to put out a runner
4. Rundown, or
5. Balk
Example:
1. A fielder starts to throw and stops because a runner is in his way but no contact is made and no intentional acts are made by the runner to cause interference. This is not interference because the runner did not interfere with a play in progress.
2. A fielder has his arm hit during his throwing motion of an actual throw. This is interference if the runner did it intentionally or could reasonably have avoided it.