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Originally posted by Rachel
In an answer to 1231234. The thing about the clinic I was at today was the emphasis in the NCAA about obstructed runners when no play is made.
R1 takes off from 2nd base, the shortstop obstructs her on the way back. The catcher doesn't throw the ball down. The umpire will warn the player and inform the coach. The plate umpire will document what player was warned. If it happens again the obstructed runner will be awarded 3rd.
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Sounds more like baby-sitting to me. Obviously, another "coach's" rule based on what another coach is teaching.
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We were given a detailed video presentation on what is "about to receive". ASA and Fed. have gone to "No ball no block" The NCAA doesn't want to go there and wants to keep those great plays in the game.
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Just out of curiosity, what "great plays"? Sounds like they want to be more like baseball. I never had a problem with the "about to receive" caveat to the obstruction rule. However, I cannot help feeling that this, too, is coach-initiated. As we have seen, and have read folks on some boards post, such "great plays" shouldn't be denied because of an umpire's judgment on about to receive. We all probably know an umpire or two, including some who work NCAA, that will not step up and make the big call if they feel it will get them criticized or draw an argument. I know, maybe they shouldn't be there, but sometimes they are. Believe we saw demonstrations of it going both ways last year in the NCAA Championship Series and the Olympics.
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We as umpires have to call obstruction when it occurs even if the player was safe. This is so the coaches know what is going to be called and that we see it.
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Speaking ASA, this has always been so and I have taught it that way for the 10 years I've been at some level of instruction. The book tells you what to do when you see it. It doesn't tell you to not call it based on what you believe will eventually happen. It looks terrible when an umpire fails to call obstruction, turns out it affects the play, and the umpire is going to look like an *** one way or the other.
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The emphasis was on looking for the obstruction before looking for the tag.
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I don't know if that is the correct way to say it (as I can see some taking it a bit literally and miss the remainder of the play altogether), but I don't think there is anything different than what an umpire has supposed to have done for years.
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The clinic was well worth my time and those of you in Texas should attend in Dallas.
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They usually are. There is no such thing as too many clinics. I'm sure I'm not alone on this, but nothing gets my goad like an umpire who thinks, "I've been doing this for ..... years, what can they teach me?" These are the folks who either don't show up at clinics, or stand in the back of the room telling anyone who will listen about hoe "he" will do things. How often have we seen this type of umpire be sooooo out of date, it is embarrassing to work with him/her?