Quote:
Originally posted by DaveASA/FED
I see what Irish is saying, I think! Let me think through it in my mind as the play unfolds and see if I am looking at it right.
Hit to outfield, I button hook see OBS, arm goes out, I am thinking safe to 2nd, then fielder misses the ball, I rethink 3rd (this is because the situation has changed, normal outfield hit is double, but fielder missed the ball on the initial hit which without OBS IMO turns it into a triple), relay throw is missed.....this is not a part of the "hit" or the intial fielding of the hit so it does not make me rethink the OBS award so the BR, now R1 has taken the chance for home unprotected.
So is a dumbed down way to put it (so my simple mind can grasp it) is that the initial hit, and the fielders play on that ball are considered when making the reward for OBS. But after a fielder has control of the ball any subsequent action is not considered?
So in this case the ball passing the fielder is considered in the reward (part of gaining control of a hit ball), but a bad throw / bad catch by F5 are not considered???
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To continue this train of thought...here is how I came to see and understand how ASA wants it handled:
The initial hit was in all likelihood a double, the OBS by F3 could have prevented the BR from safely obtaining second base by slowing her just enough for the outfielder to get to the ball and throw it into second base for the out. Once the outfielder misses the ball, bobbles the ball, makes a bad throw into the infield, etc., and the BR decides to try for third, the BR is now attempting to advance
because of the error, not as a result of the hit. Since we judge that her hit would have resulted in a double, her protection is only to
second base. Any attempt to advance further is at her own risk.
Like Tom, I am firmly in the SAF group. i don't agree with ASA's interpretation, but I will call it that way when officiating ASA games.
When the offense hinders the defense from executing a play, we have an immediate stoppage of play and a penalty. (Interference, dead ball, someone's out) However, when the defense hinders the offense, we are only supposed to "make it right" without any further penalty. I would like to see a more penal quality to the OBS rule, but I'm not sure exactly how to accomplish that.