Note: The batter-runner interference article is in the Runners/Batter-Runner section of this Rules Corner. Also read these articles for more batter regulations – Batter/Bat Hitting the Ball a Second Time and Batted ball hits batter.

On-Deck Batter Interference

An on-deck batter can be the interference perpetrator in a number of ways. The on-deck circles are much like the coaches’ boxes – they are not sanctuaries in which the occupant can insist on occupying regardless of what is happening on the field.

An on-deck batter may not interfere with a defensive player’s reasonable opportunity to make a play. Most often this may happen when a foul fly ball is hit in the direction of the on-deck circle; the on-deck batter must do everything possible to allow that fielder to make the play. If the on-deck batter, in her honest efforts to get out of the way, still interferes, this must be called, and the batter will be declared out.

But please note the words “reasonable opportunity” above. If the fielder does not have a reasonable chance to catch the foul fly, by rule interference will not be called.

Another form of on-deck batter interference may happen on a pitched or thrown ball. Let’s take the example of a wild pitch with a runner on first base. If the ball contacts the on-deck batter but the catcher, in retrieving the ball, has no chance to get an out at 2b on the runner, there is no interference. If, however, R1 tries to advance to 3b and now the umpire rules the catcher had a reasonable opportunity to throw R1 out at 3b, then interference should be called.

Although it does not happen often the on-deck batter could commit interference in her efforts to direct a teammate attempting to score. The rule books allow the on-deck batter to leave the on-deck circle to help a scoring runner. But the ultimate responsibility lies with the on-deck batter to not impede any fielder from making a reasonable play, whether the play is on the scoring runner or any other runner.

Batter Interference

The basic principles of batter interference are:
• The areas in front of and over home plate belong to the batter until the pitch touches the catcher’s glove
• That area belongs to the catcher after the pitch is caught.
• The batter’s box is not an absolute haven

Batter is in batter’s box

The batter is considered in the batter’s box if both feet are within the box. To be considered “within” the space, the batter must not have any part of the foot that is in contact with the ground extending beyond the outermost edge of the line.

Is it interference if the batter, after the pitch, is in the batter’s box and gets in the way of the catcher’s actions as a runner is advancing on a steal or being picked off? The guiding principles for the umpire in this situation are:
• The batter’s box is not a sanctuary but there is no trap door
• If the play happens so quickly that the batter has no chance to get out of the way, it is not interference unless the batter intentionally interferes with the catcher while still in the box.
• Any contact within the planes of the box should be considered incidental unless either the batter or catcher intentionally initiated the contact.
• If the batter intentionally hinders the catcher while in the box – interference.

Sometimes a batter will move in the batter’s box in an effort to get out of the catcher’s way. Despite the batter’s best intentions, if her action impedes the catcher from making a play, it is interference. If coaches understood this rule and would teach their batters to stay still until the catcher has made her initial play, we would have fewer arguments about this rule

Once in a while the batter may make a very late swing or bunt attempt and then move her body and the bat backwards toward the catcher while still in the box. This is interference if this action results in the catcher being hindered from making a play, especially if the umpire determines that the only reason for the late swing or strange bunt attempt is to impede the catcher from throwing out a stealing runner.

Batter is not in the batter’s box or is outside the planes of the box

A batter’s movement after the pitch has passed the bat, may happen for two reasons:
• She attempts to get out of the way of the catcher
• Her swing or other momentum takes her out of the box or part of her body outside the planes of the box.

The position of the feet are not the delimiter for this rule; if she is within the box but any part of her body is outside the planes of the box (in the river or over the plate), she is in jeopardy of being called for batter interference if her position hinders the catcher. There does not have to be contact between the batter and the catcher. If the catcher has to adjust her play in any way, call interference. The batter does not belong in that position after a swing.

Despite the batter’s best intentions, if the batter steps outside of the box in an effort to get out of the catcher’s way and her action impedes the catcher from making a play, it is interference.

One of the toughest interference calls for an umpire to explain is when the batter swings and her momentum takes her across the plate as the catcher is attempting to come out of the crouch and throw the ball to a base. Regardless of the argument by the coach that the batter was just swinging at the pitch, this is interference and must be called.

Plays at the plate

The most contentious situation is when a runner is trying to score and the batter is still in the box or the area of home plate. It could develop from a wild pitch, passed ball, delayed steal or a squeeze play. If the batter remains in the area and interferes with any fielder making a play at the plate, interference is ruled. This could be with the fielder covering the plate or the throw from the catcher to that fielder. f the batter had sufficient time to get out of the way and could have gotten out of the way but does not, interference. The burden is on the batter to avoid interfering with the play.

Batter interference is a delayed dead ball
One of the major rule changes in NCAA for the 2016-2017 Rule Book makes batter interference a delayed dead ball. In all other codes it is an immediate dead ball, the batter is out and all runners return to their bases occupied at the time of the pitch. In college the ball remains live and the play is allowed to continue. At the end of the play the umpires will call time-out and give the defensive coach an option to take the result of the play or the penalty for batter interference – the batter is out and all runners return to their bases occupied at the time of the pitch (same as the other codes).

Retired Batter Interference

Retired batter interference occurs when the batter is declared out without becoming a batter-runner and she denies a defensive player (most likely the catcher) a reasonable opportunity to make a play on a runner. NCAA separates this rule into two situations…at the time of interference:
• Batter is still in the box (for example, she strikes out and is still standing there)
• Batter is out of the box (for example, she is moving toward the dugout or running toward 1b)

For both these situations it is a delayed dead ball. (This was the unannounced change in the 2022-2023 rule book; previously it was a dead ball if the retired batter was still in the box.) The defense may take the result of the play or the batter is out. However, the Effect is slightly different with regard to which runner is also out:
• Still in the box – runner being played on is out
• Out of the box –runner closest to home is out.
• Each other runner must return to the last base legally touched

Batter interference (11.20.2, 11.20.3)

Batter’s position	Within box (not any part of foot on ground out of box (Appendix A	Stepped out of box (any part of foot on ground out of box)	While runner is advancing to home
Not retired	Not interference unless intentional; result of play or batter is out	Interference intentional or not; result of play or batter is out	Less than 2 outs -runner is out 2 outs - batter is out
Retired	Result of play or runner being played on is out.	Result of play or runner closest to home is also out	Result of play or runner closest to home is also out