re: That was a bad throw by the catcher and a ticky-tack call

The lines are part of the lane, so stepping on the line is not a violation. Also, one foot in or on the line and the other foot in the air is permitted. The batter-runner must take two consecutive steps totally outside the lane to violate the rule. If interference is called, the ball is immediately dead and the batter-runner is out; any other runners return to the base occupied at the time of the pitch (NFHS 8-4-1g, NCAA 7-11p, OBR 5.09a11).