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We decided in our meeting last night (AOA, Illinois) that straddling the base is obstruction because the runner is not required to slide. The fielder has made the runner do something he wasn't planning on doing, nor can we assume the runner was going to slide anyway.
1" is not access. The attempted pick-off at first when F3 (without the ball) puts his knee to block the path of the R1 who is trying to get back to the base is also obstruction.
Of the catcher standing in the direct baseline between home and 3rd: If the runner must change his path to the plate, then yes. Do not be confused regarding the runner who takes a wide turn from third and is running in foul territory. the runner gets his path regardless from where he started.
We were split on the catcher/fielder who must move into the path to catch the ball. In the past, this was nothing. Now some saw it as obstruction, some did not. Key still is the fielder does not have the ball.
A good piece of advice we heard last night: If you want the rule to change (or get more clarification), enforce it exactly as the Fed. wants. It'll change again next year. Hopefully to "No ball = Obstruction" period.
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