When Coach's Interference Isn't

By Richard B. Siegel

From time to time I'll see an article appear in the sports pages of the newspaper that will accuse an umpire of blowing a call. Often, when I the read the article, it turns out that the umpire ruled correctly. Rather, the writer has misunderstood the rules. However, once in a while the paper will be right. Often these officiating mistakes occur at the youth league level where, unfortunately, the level of skill and experience of the umpire is often lacking. A few years ago I came across an item in the local paper under the title "Ump Robs Team of Championship." Immediately I thought, "why do they always have to blame the umpire when they don't win?" But after reading the disturbing item, I had to agree.

The gist of the article described how the home-team batter, in the bottom of the last inning with two out and two on base, smacked a homerun over the center field fence, apparently winning the game. In his jubilation, the first base coach slapped batter's butt on his one the way to first base. The umpire called the batter out for "coach's interference." He also disallowed the other two runners from scoring because the batter was out before reaching first base on the interference call. Hence, it was the third out so the game was over and the visiting team won. What a bad call!

Rule 7.09 (i) says: In the judgment of the umpire, the base coach at third base, or first base, by touching or holding the runner, physically assists him in returning to or leaving third base or first base.

Out of this rule has grown the myth: "If the base coach touches the runner, he is automatically out." Not true!

First of all this rule should be reserved for the actions of the coach during the playing action when the ball is alive. The umpire's judgment must determine the intent and purpose of the touch by the base coach. If the coach obviously and intentionally physically stops the runner from advancing, pushes him off to the next base, or assists him to his feet after falling, he must be ruled out. The coach's intent of the touch must be to give assistance. You must ask yourself, "Is the coach giving assistance to the runner? Is the runner deriving some sort of advantage from the coach's touching him?" A nonchalant or incidental touch, butt slap, hug, high five, or pat on the head as the runner goes by, is trivial and is not grounds for ruling the runner out.

In particular, this rule should not be enforced when runners are forced to advance or score by a homerun or an award of bases. When a live ball has left the playing field, the ball becomes dead and runners may be awarded bases that might force them all the way to home. A casual slap or touch by a base coach or teammate on a runner, who is clearly in the act of correctly running the circuit of the bases anyway, gives no advantage to the offense when the ball is dead. So there ought not be any penalty to the offense for this. Even allow a runner rounding third while the ball is dead (on an award or HR) who might slip and fall to be helped to his feet by the base coach. If the coach didn't help him up, would the runner have gotten up and continued to advance on his own? Of course he would have! Where is the advantage to the runner then? Otherwise, while the ball is dead the runner can take all the time he wants, within reason, to get up and advance. The coach is helping you. By helping the runner to get up, he's helping you move the game along.

Another example where this rule could be misapplied is when a runner has been awarded third base but mistakenly advances home when the ball is dead. Sometimes a third base coach, knowing his runner has been awarded third, sees his runner touch third and keep going home under the misconception that he was awarded home. The coach might reach out a grab the errant runner and send him back to third. So what? No problem! Remember, when the ball is dead nobody can get an advantage. The coach is just helping you here too. If the runner came to the plate you would just have to sent him back to third yourself! To call coach's interference in these two above cases is wrong. It is over officiating.

The only case where this rule might apply while the ball is dead, would be a clearly indisputable and obvious case of a coach grabbing or pushing a runner who has abandoned the basepath or his efforts to touch the next base. If the base coach blatantly grabs, pushes or drags the runner in an effort to forcefully redirect him back onto the baseline to continue his circuit of the bases, that could substantiate coach's interference. Normally, a runner cannot be ruled out while the ball is dead. So be 100% certain of this violation before you call it.

By the way, in the above (dead ball) situation, you could alternately enforce Rule 7.08 (a) (2). This rule that allows you to call a runner, who has passed first base, out for abandoning his effort to run the bases. It gives you a far more obvious infraction to call, and takes the monkey off the coach's back. You'll get a whole lot less heat for that call, then coach's interference.

Remember, hitting a homerun out of the playing field is a special moment in the childhood of a youth baseball player and the rest of his team. We should do all that we can within the rules to preserve that moment for him or her. If his teammates want to rush to the home plate area and slap his hands before he touches home plate, allow it! First of all, there is no rule that says they can't do it. And, where is the disadvantage to the defense if they do it? Don't look for trouble and over-officiate at a time like this. Always keep in mind the intent of the rule is assistance. Be 100% sure that the coach assisted the runner.