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Originally Posted by waltjp
I have obstruction.
FED 2-22-1
Obstruction is an act (intentional or unintentional, as well as physical or verbal) by a fielder, any member of the defensive team or its team personnel that hinders a runner or changes the pattern of play as in 5-1-3 and 8-3-2; ...
F3's blocking of the bag affected R1's return to the base. "Time! That's obstruction! You, second base!"
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Sensible! Good post.
Interpreting "access" like some of you do, you have some tough sells to make, and probably will have a LOT of ejections.
I am not going to make any comments about "preferred access". I am going to use "common sense" which says stuff like:
F3 standing up blocking the bag in front of it without the ball, and the runner has to move around him, or contact is made, that is obstruction. It is not for me to decide if the runner should have slid or not, and I am not going to embarrass myself to any coach saying some horsecrapola about how his runner had "access, just not preferred access coach". Common sense says that F3 no business standing there without the ball and hindered the runner getting back. By rule, that is obstruction.
Under the new ruling, you COULD call a defensive player for obstruction for going into the baseline to catch a thrown ball that if he holds on to it, the runner is out, but if he drops it, he technically does not have secure possession of it, and obstructed the runner. Now, contact before ball arrives, you bet, I am calling it, ball hits gloves and contact happening IMMEDIATELY, well, by rule now, you can call obstruction.
I would NEVER call that. None of you should either. But, I have already heard stories about guys call obstruction in this kind of play.
I have read comments about how FED didn't do a very good job on THIS rule. LOL When does FED EVER do a good job on a rule. The FED rules committee is a farce! Ran by a bunch of idiots who probably never played baseball beyond a sandlot.