As long as the game of baseball has existed it has had spectators, and in many ways the game has developed on the strength of fan support. Modern stadiums are built with the fan experience in mind, aiming to get fans as close to the action as possible. Look around the park or outfield seats and you're sure to see some people with gloves, just hoping to catch a ball hit into the stands. While this is as much a part of the game as hot dogs and beer, it has created some problems when a ball gets close to the playing field boundaries.
Basic Interference Rule
Baseball first addressed fan interference in 1954. Rule 3.16 states that if a spectator interferes with a batted or thrown ball, the play will be dead at the time of contact. Furthermore, the umpire should impose such penalties as in his opinion will nullify the act of interference. Also, if a spectator clearly prevents a fielder from catching a fly ball, the batter will be called out. This rule helped establish interference guidelines but left the definition of fan interference unclear. Major League Baseball later added clarification. It was concluded that even if a ball bounces back into play, if it is touched by a fan it still is considered dead. It also gave the umpire the discretion to place runners where they would be had the interference not occurred. However, the interference rule applies only to balls that remain in the field of play. Once a ball crosses a wall, railing or rope that defines the field, a player may reach over to make a play at his own risk.
Famous Home Run Interference
Arguably the most famous example of fan interference is the Jeffrey Maier play in the 1996 American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. A batted ball was hit toward the top of the outfield wall in fair territory. Young fan Jeffrey Maier reached over the railing into the field of play to make the catch while an Orioles outfielder was camped out at the wall looking to make a play on the ball. The outfielder maintained he would have caught the ball had the fan not interfered. The umpire, who was running toward the play to get a better look, did not have a good angle to see whether the fan reached in, and ruled that the ball would have been over the wall. Replays showed differently but at the time were not used in baseball. The home run tied the game in the eighth inning and the Yankees went on to win.
Umpire's Judgment
On a home run, the ruling on fan interference can vary based on what happens during the play. The umpire has the discretion to determine if the ball would have been caught by the fielder had the interference not occurred. If this is the case, the batter is called out. The umpire also can determine if runners would have tagged up. If it is unclear if the ball would have been caught, the umpire also can rule the ball a hit and place the batters based on what would have happened. For example, if it's determined that the ball would have hit the top of the wall but remained in play, the umpire may rule it a double or triple.
Introduction of Instant Replay
In 2008, MLB introduced the ability to use instant replay on home runs to determine if a ball was fair or foul, in or out of the park, and whether there was fan interference. This, along with the umpire's ability to use his judgment, has helped get the call right. Some baseball purists argue that instant replay slows the game and takes away the human element. Others prefer the unpredictability that fan interference brings to the game, as baseball is one of the only professional sports in which a fan can change the outcome of a play. In any case, modern technology has made it possible to have a better chance of getting the call correct while maintaining the umpire's ability use his judgment to make the call.
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