This play is a little tough to describe. Varsity game put probably easier to visualize it as if they were 12U because hardly anything anybody did made sense.
No outs. R1 on 1st with F3 playing in a couple of steps from the base. F4 playing left of normal and almost in the baseline. Ball is popped up between the two fielders just in front of the base line. F4 moves toward the ball and F3 instead of moving toward the ball moves back across the base path of a confused R1 who can't decide what to do. F3 then decides to move back toward the ball and R1 decides to run. (I think F3 was clearing out for F4 and changed her mind.) They collide. F4 catches the ball and then drops it. R1 then runs safely to 2nd.
In this situation I had obstruction on the theory that I can't protect two players in the same space trying to field a ball because if I did the runner would be completely unable to advance and F3 was not even remotely doing the right thing. Further, F4 was in no way affected and was the right player to make the play (coming in versus backpedalling). DC obviously disagreed and felt that he should get the out for the contact. Almost to the point of removing himself from the game.
So how do you all read this situation? (I know it was really HTBT, but only the DC and I saw it cause everybody else was watching the catch, so jus tdo what you can with it please.) What kind of keys do you use to judge obstruction interference in a situation where someone else is making the primary play? Does it matter that the path that F3 had from the initial spot to the ball did not put her near R1? (I realize it would matter if she were doing it on purpose but here it was just a lack of skill.)
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