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I decided to watch the play again. The issue in play one is as much on the fielder as it is the runner. If you watch the fielder carefully, until the moment the ball arrives at her glove she is completely across first base. She is not bringing the other foot forward back towards the fair side of the base until the throw and runner are arriving at first base.
This is an intentional act in my opinion in an effort to get the batter-runner to slow done because first base is blocked. There is nowhere for the batter-runner to go running full speed except into the F3.
Also, F3 catches the ball with her glove about even with the foul line. Had her glove been out in front of her reaching for the throw two things happen. One, the glove is not contacted by the runner running at full speed to the base, and two, the catch is made prior to the runner getting to the base.
Her poor positioning on the play was as much the reason that this play happened as anything else.
I do agree though, the runner is NEVER in the running lane.
I will add one more thing to this discussion. This is a perfect example of why the double first base is so important and needs to be adopted for higher levels of softball. With a double first base this play doesn't happen and the potential injury associated with the play would not happen.
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