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Originally posted by mcrowder
OK - I think we're past step 1 on the 12 step plan to recovery. 
Your comments above (the ones I and others disagreed with), including your comment at the beginning of the previous post, lead us to believe that you would not award a runner a base (3rd in this case) unless she was either Put Out somewhere, or attempted to make it to said base. But now, you contradict your previous comments, and rule correctly, and in the manner the rest of us would rule.
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I know I didn't actually say it, I never even meant to imply that is how I would call it. Sorry for the confusion.
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Now, step 2 - change my situation to an unintentional act, that causes exactly the same thing. F3, watching the ball head into right starts backing up so that she can back up the catcher if a play develops at home. BR, watching the ball or the coach doesn't see her. F3 crosses into her path before first base, and they crash big. They tangle, take a minute or so to untangle, perhaps BR is even a little hurt. BR stumbles into first base and seeing the ball recovered in the outfield does not attempt second base.
By the OBS rule, your ruling here should be IDENTICAL (minus the ejection, I suppose). Is it? If not, why. If so - what makes you abandon your previous statements in this particular case?
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My ruling on the field would be as you say. Although F3 still might be ugly. ;-)
But please, I have never abandoned my any of my previous statements regarding how I would call it. Nor have I contradicted myself.
I just said I had a problem with the wording in my original post. I showed the wording that I had a problem with and why I had a problem with it. I still have the same problem with the wording. The wording needs to be cleaned up - BIG TIME.
Umpires are not the only ones that read rule books. However, they are the only ones who read case books. I know the official interp, but I point out that this is the type of thing that can make our jobs as umpires more difficult than they need to be.
Here is another pet peeve of mine with the ASA Web Site. Nowhere on softball.org can I find how to obtain a case book. However, if you know about it, you go to softballoutlet.com.
I would also like to see the Rule book mention the Case book as the overriding authority.