Andy,
While I understand this approach - "This is exactly why NFHS removed the automatic base award from the OBS rule a few years back. Umpires wouldn't call OBS so the coaches started coaching their players to OBS runners." I don't like it or agree with it. I had the same obstruction in some of my games - after it was known that obstruction was being called, a lot of the obstruction went away. Put a real penaly in for committing this infraction - and that's not just removing the effect of the infraction - call it, enforce it, and the penalty will start to disappear.
The folks who would not enforce that penalty in Fed ball in past years are the same ones who (then & today) don't attend clinics, don't learn & study the rules, and are just there for a quick pay check. They did the game a dis-service - and these are the folks who ought to P-i-ss every umpire off.
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Steve M
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