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I've seen this sort of play happening more often since the emphasis on obstruction by ASA and FED the past few years.
In fact, this happened to me as a player in a co-ed slow pitch game last summer.
I was pitching and the batter jacked one over the centerfielder's head. Looked like a sure in-the-park-homer.
Since our catcher was an inexperienced female, I came in to cover the plate. I was very careful to set-up for the throw out in front of the plate and well out of the runner's path.
The relay throw was a good one and arrived a split-second before the runner. All I had to do was bring the glove back and to the side for a swipe tag.
The runner remained on his feet running through the plate. He hit my outstretched arm (which a split-second earlier wasn't there) pretty hard, but I held onto the ball and he was called out.
It was a second later that my hand began to throb. I had held the ball firmly (thanks to a well-broken in glove) but the contact had bent the fingers of my glove back, creating enough leverage force to break a bone in my hand.
It was a bang-bang play. The fielder (me) had possession of the ball on contact. But the runner had no way to avoid the fielder who suddenly moved into his path and, in fact, had a wide-open path to the plate until I moved in for the tag.
By my description of the play, assuming the ball was dropped, would any of you think the runner should be called out for "failure to avoid"?
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