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My two cents
On a play at the plate involving the catcher blocking the plate without the ball, I was taught at umpire school (OBR) that this was legal if the thrown ball was 60-feet (pitcher's mound) or closer to the catcher. That is, that the catcher is in the "act of fielding the (thrown) ball" when that ball is no further than that distance. An equivalent distance would be used for throws on the bases.
Based on the language posted by BigUmp56, I have used this same interpretation in my American Legion games since leaving pro ball. The one time a coach came out to argue for a call of "obstruction", I gave him this interpretation. While he did not feel that the ball in flight was at the pitcher's mound or closer, he did not argue with my rules interpretation at all (only that the ball was not that close). I know that's not saying much...I mean he was a coach. His argument that the ball was not that close, however, was not that animated and it appeared to me that my interpretation as explained to him took a lot of "wind out of his sails".
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