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Now that I read the rule more closely, maybe you can give awards even if that runner was not the one obstructed. "The umpire shall... impose such penalties, if any, as in that umpire's judgement will nulify the act of obstruction".
But, again, are we willing to give awards to other runners who are simply confused by yelling and don't know what to do other than to return to their base? I say not, the defense has done nothing wrong to award THAT runner a base. We can not correlate the act of obstruction to the reason that runner returned. He/she returned because of the CONFUSION that the obstruction may have caused among themselves and his/her coaches. Not the defense's fault. We give and award for that, we get on a slippery slope, in my mind.
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