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"The ball gets past F4 and as F4 turns to pursue the ball the BR overruns 2B and they have contact. There was no attempt by the BR to go for 3B, she just over ran the base. F4 had no chance of retrieving the ball to tag the BR before she took a couple of steps back to 2B (the ball rolled 10 feet or so away from 2B & no one was backing her up)".
I was surprised when I read this play, because I just seen the very same thing happen twice in the last week here in TN.
As the old saying goes...One learns something new everyday. In the description of the play I wrongly thought the runner should be awarded third? Why did I think this? Because the runner saw the ball was booted by F4 and had rolled about ten feet farther away from 3rd base, since the throw came in from left field. If these are 10 and under players the runner would have had a good shot at making it to third by the time F4, or any other fielder, had run down the ball and tried to make a play at third. The fielder made contact without having possession of the ball after the runner already passed 2nd base and the ball was rolling into the out-field. This exact same situation happened in two different games I was wathching last week...(one was a practice game with no Umpire, and the coach awarded the runner 3rd) and the other game an Umpire awarded 3rd base. Both girls were awarded 3rd even though both runners went back to 2nd after the obstruction. The Coach and the Umpire, were both wrong. I would have been wrong too. This will be my second year umpiring. My first 3 games start April 3rd. I will be going over the rule book intently for the next several days. I now know, and I'm glad I read this thread, that the runner is only protected from being put out between 2nd and 3rd in this situation, but does not get 3rd base. The award in this case is 2nd base. I know if I'm ever coaching 3rd base in 10 & under and this situation happens I'm telling my girl to advance, once I see it get away from F4 and contact is made, for what has she got to lose? If she makes it safely to 3rd she stays there, if she is thrown out she gets awarded 2nd base. Thanks guys! Especially Mike and mcrowder.
I have a question. Runners on 1st and 2nd... a batter hits a ball to the pitcher and another fielder obstructs the girl that's advancing to 3rd base. The pitcher throws the ball to 3rd before the runner reaches the base. The obstructed runner cannot be awarded 2nd as 2nd already has a girl there. In this case is she awarded 3rd because of the Obstruction? Thanks again...
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