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Originally Posted by BCCanuck
Mick - Softball Canada uses the ISF wording for obstruction.This is from their casebook: (ignore the superfluous use of the word deliberately)
292. There is a runner at 2nd when the batter hits a pitched ball for a single to center field. R2 is deliberately obstructed and unable to touch 3rd and continues on to home plate where he scores. After all play has stopped the defence makes a dead ball appeal on R2 for missing 3rd.
RULING: The umpires shall award R2 both 3rd and home due to the deliberate obstruction. R2 is not required to touch 3rd base due to the obstruction. If a runner can not touch a base because s/he was obstructed s/he cannot be called out on a subsequent appeal.
Note :Softball Canada refers to runners according to the base on which they started.
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Thanks eh, BCCanuck. I appreciate that.
In attempting to understand why and when the runner can *forget* the touch (
and realizing that the runner doesn't have to wrestle the fielder for the bag) I am puzzled as to:
- How much of an effort does the runner need to make to touch the bag
- How close to the bag does the obstruction have to occur before the runner may just run around with no effort.
- inches, centimeters?
- feet, meters ?
- What if the fielder moves out of the way late enough to call obstruction, but early enough to make the bag available.
I think the intent the rule is fair enough, I am just looking at how to judge it.
I'm looking for some kind of measurement (and not to just leave it to the whim of the runner), like when the runner is forced to break stride two strides from the bag, or 3 seconds, ... or somthin'.