Thread: Obstruction
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Old Tue Jan 11, 2005, 09:58am
AtlUmpSteve AtlUmpSteve is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by WestMichBlue
Whoooa - let's go back to the original situation. Nobody ever stated what to do with R1?

"R1 on 2nd, R2 on 1st, F2 attempts to pick R2 off. F3
Obstructs R2 diving back into 1B, tag is made before R2
can get to 1B. F3 immediately throws the ball
to F5 to try and get R1 attempting to advance to 3rd.
R1 is tagged out on the play."


I believe the correct mechanic, when R2 is tagged while short of the base, is to call Dead Ball and immediately turn to find R2. Then send R2 to a base using the 51/49 rule of thumb (more that half way, send to next base. Less than halfway, return to last base).

In the above scenario, if R2 was tagged out very quickly, then I assume that she was probably more than halfway to 3B when you killed the play. Am I correct in placing her at 3B? Or would you return her to 2B?

WMB
I am not aware of any 51/49 rule in any official softball rules (ASA, NCAA, or NFHS). In the event of a dead ball, runners are returned to the last base legally touched, unless 1) awarded a base, or 2) forced to advance due to an awarded base to a another runner. In your scenario (assuming I remember which R2 is actually R1), R1 must return to 2B.
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