This is a Fall League, Babe Ruth, 16U, OBR, enclosed field, day game but there are lights if needed!
I am an observer for the PU.
As is with many of the fields that we use, there are not bull pens so the relief pitcher and a catcher go down the line (right field in this case) with a third player for protection.
There is 1 out with R1, batter hits a screamer that bounces on the dirt inside of 1st base (pointed fair by the PU). The ball is missed by F3 and is still screaming down the line when it bounces again and heads into foul territory (damn thing is still running like it was on afterburners). F9 is charging to the line when the ball hits something and takes to the air (like a rising fastball
). The player assigned to protect the battery warming up instinctively reaches out to protect himself and catches the ball.
The PU killed the ball and was approached by the base coach who is looking for an obstruction call. The PU and the BU get together and agree on obstruction. At this point, the defensive manager comes out and argues how obstruction can be called when no runner was obstructed. He also added that if the call is in fact obstruction, there has to be a base award. So the PU and the BU re-confer and come up with interference. Now the Offensive manager is questioning how it could be interference when the offense didn't do anything wrong! It's beginning to look like the coaches know more than the umpires!
The PU and BU now move their conference to the fence in front of me. I see what is about to happen and I just wave and tell them that I will be in the parking lot.
They ruled a dead ball and put R1 back at 1st, the BR back in the batter's box with the original count of 2-1. The game was protested.