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Old Wed Jun 30, 2004, 10:04am
DaveASA/FED DaveASA/FED is offline
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Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 962
My general rule in my mind at least (and i am looking for others thoughts) is if contact, or runner changes path etc(any requirement of OBS occurres prior to the ball being there then I have OBS. Think of it as if the ball was still in the outfield, would what just happened be OBS? Then call it. It doesn't matter that the ball was 1" from the glove now there is no difference between 1" 1 foot or 100 feet, if OBS occurres prior to possession of the ball then they are covered under the OBS rule. Now some of your situations are different than mine but using the same thought pattern I'll try to answer them.

1) If fielder doesn't have ball and OBS ocurrs (runner contacts her, changes course etc) I have OBS.
2) If Runner contacts fielder prior to them having the ball-obs.
3) At the point it occurs. When runner changes course to avoid her contact it made etc.
4) Depends. You can block the base as long as you have possession prior to OBS occurring, meaning the runner doesn't alter her running or contact you prior to you haveing possession of the ball. Once you have possession of the ball it can no longer be OBS (at least on the fielder with the ball!)
5) At first I thought if she had the ball when the first block was made she was ok, but the more I think about it if it happened exactly like you said I would have OBS when she lost control of the ball and was still blocking the plate, it is a HTBT depends on if runner is trying to get to plate at that point but if IMO at the time if anything that would qualify as OBS occurred without possession then I would call it. And IMO again if 1 fielder is doing anything that would qualify as OBS while another is getting the ball I would rule OBS. Here are two things I can see,
Runner slides and you have the tag and dropped ball, no OBS yet,
1) now runner tries to stand up to touch plate pulling feet away from fielder while doing so no further contact was made with F2 meanwhile F1 gets ball and touches runner, then I have an out.
2) runner tries to keep moving feet to touch home plate and F2 is in her way and contact is made keeping her form touching the plate while F1 gets ball and tags runner. In this case I have OBS on F2 runner is safe at home.

Again these are just my opinions I am very interested to hear how everyone else would call these.
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