[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by WestMichBlue

I still struggle with obstruction on a blocking catcher.

Maybe because that is a misconception that we have been seeing a lot of on this board recently

Most of you will say there must be a visible deviation on the part of the runner to call OBS. But – without getting into the runner’s head, how do you know that a runner’s seemingly normal action isn’t in fact a deviation?

In the past, this issue was often raised on the point of umpire calling OBS when the runner was still 55-60 feet away at 3B.

R1 coming home; F2 straddling the base line about 12” to 18” up 3B side of home plate. As the runner closes on F2, she must make a decision.

Here is the part which entitles umpires to get the big bucks. The umpire must NOW make a decision themselves.

She cannot keep running upright and crash into F2. She must either pull up, or go around, or slide. At that point, has she not been impeded? Even if a slide looks normal, isn’t that a possible deviation; a reaction to the catcher preventing her from running through the plate

So she slides in a straight line towards the plate. F2 has essentially funneled the runner between her legs into the center of the plate. Even though that slide looks normal, hasn’t she possibly been impeded from sliding towards the corner, or sliding wide with a touch back tag of the plate?

All of which sounds like OBS to me, so call it.

For two to three years we have been saying that the obstruction rule change was supposed to force catcher’s to reposition out of the base path and to catch first, then move into the tag. Are we not negating that concept when we continue to allow catchers to block the plate; and as long a runners slides in what seems to be a normal softball action we refuse to call obstruction?

In ASA, it was presented more as the manner in which coach's would teach their players. Even to include the mention of coaches in the POE of the 2004 rule book. Don't know why it was approached in that manner, just was. Shouldn't really make any difference to us, though.

Again, what you describe sounds like OBS to me, so why would you hesitate to call it? If you are waiting for a flashing sign to direct you to call OBS and it doesn't go off in your mind, you've got a problem.

If there is no other rule to which "you'll know it when you see it" applies, obstruction is the one where it should.

I believe you are overthinking the entire issue and seem to be locked on the catcher and the word "blocking". Neither have anything to do with the rule on obstruction.