[Dakota]

Originally Posted by MountieSB

B1 hits a ball into RF gap, rounds the 1B bag and collides with F3 who is standing in the baseline. Base umpire appropriately signals for obstruction and allows play to continue. B1 falls as a result of the collision with F3, but gets up, noticeably limping, and slides into second base. As ball comes in from F9, F4 bobbles ball and B1 sees the bobble, starts off 2B toward 3B and falls about 10' from 2B while trying to change direction to get back to 2B. F4 throws to F6 and tags B1 before she gets back to 2B. There is no question that B1 was tagged by F6. B1 never got back to 2B - she was laying on her stomach two feet from the bag and never touched 2B the second time. Base umpire rules B1 safe because of the obstruction call between 1B & 2B.

Here is my question: How long does B1 get protection for the obstruction? I would have called obstruction to get B1 to second base initially, but the runner is then on her own after achieving 2B. When she made the turn from 2B to 3B, and then was tagged out trying to get back to 2B, she should be out, correct?

When I asked the BU why he ruled her safe, he said that the reason she didn't make it back to the bag was because of the injury (noticeable limping) that occurred due to the collision with F3. In his judgement, he was going to protect her beyond 2B because of the injury. I hypothesized that she could have just gotten up and walked all the way home using that reasoning without fear of being called out. He said this is just his judgement. I asked for a rule that stipulated that, and he kept saying it was a judgement call. Am I wrong in assuming that she is only protected to the next base (in this instance, because there was no chance she could reasonably made third, even without the collision)? Thanks in advance for your expertise.

By rule, there should have been one of 2 outcomes of this play, depending on the umpire's judgment. The runners is either out or awarded 3B. There is no rules support for placing her back on 2B, and the umpire using the phrase "in my judgment" does not change that.