<!-- Deleted image removed: -->In
baseball,
interference is an infraction where a person illegally changes the course of play from what is expected. Interference might be committed by players on the offense, players not currently in the game, catchers, umpires, or spectators; each type of interference is covered differently by the rules.
Offensive interference
The most common incidence of interference is when a member of the offensive team physically hinders the defensive team, decreasing their chances to make an out or increasing the chance that a baserunner will advance. Whenever this
offensive interference occurs, the
ball becomes dead. If the interference was committed by a
batter or a
baserunner, that player is called
out and all other runners must return to the bases they occupied at the time of the interference. If interference is committed by a runner with the obvious intent of preventing a
double play, the batter-runner will be called out in addition to the runner who committed the interference. If interference is committed by the
batter-runner before he reaches first base with the possible intent of preventing a double play, the runner closest to scoring is called out in addition to the batter-runner. If interference is committed by a retired runner or by some other member of the offensive team, the runner who is most likely to have been put out will be called out.
Under
Little League (LL), high school (
NFHS) and college (
NCAA)...
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