[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

ASA 2- man, I'm PU. R1 @1B .. long single R1 goes to 3B and rounds 3b making contact rounding the bag with F5 who is in the way essentially (no ball, ball is cut off and being walked in) - Runners essentially holding off their respective bags.

I have given the DDB signal .. R1 returns to 3B and all goes on, end of it.

Between innings my partner had an interesting take on what to me was an automatic OBS call.

"Where was that runner going?"

"Probably no where, just rounding the bag."

"Well then her progress wasnt impeded".

You don't know the runner wasn't going anywhere. The obvious isn't always what occurs. OBS is the correct call.

The contact at the bases when rounding.. automatic obs or is that a factor in the call?

How often have you ever seen a runner not change speed or path when there was contact with a defender (and I'm not referring to a brush of uniforms)? If you do not see a change in speed or direction, than no, it isn't OBS. But unless you can read their mind prior to body language giving you a hint, you not only protect the runner, but yourself.

CA coaches have come to utilize this as a free shot and his point was made because the coach was lecturing his runner that when my arm is out, she should be running home. My partner said he did not have OBS (despite fairly significant contact).

So what? And it isn't CA coaches, it's every idiot who thinks that they have some knowledge that gains them an advantage in the game. If the coach is so damn smart, why is he instructing his runner to be looking at the umpire instead of listening to him? What is the lecture going to be when she doesn't go and tells the coach she didn't see him waving here home because she was looking at the umpire?

These coaches are also the type that think every OBS is a free pass right up until the umpire properly calls their runner out because they have run out of their protection. As I've told many, coach to the game in front of you, not to a rule or call.

It seemed to me his point had a lot of merit and may change my thinking on this call.

Then you will not be doing your job. Did you ever wonder why F5 is standing around a base, sometimes in foul territory in the runner's path? Pretty sure they are not there to make a play especially if there is no possibility of a play.

OP doesn't specify exactly which side of the base the OBS occurred, but lets say it was after R1 touches the base and you don't call the OBS.

Even though it may be unadvised, the coach sends R1 and she is thrown out at the plate.

Coach: Blue, that was OBS.
You: I didn't think so.
Coach: Did you see the contact with F5?
You: Yeah, but she wasn't going anywhere, so she really wasn't impeded
Coach: If she wasn't going anywhere, how did she get thrown out at the plate?
You: Dumb move, coach.

Yeah, maybe. But that doesn't mean you ignoring the obvious is justified. He as a right to be stupid, you don't.

In a previous post, you noted that your default call is fair as that is easier to correct. Why not call the OBS? Who are you hurting? Does it create an unlevel field by calling it? Is it not more likely that by not calling the OBS you are penalizing the team least guilty of stupid play?

IOW, where is the downside of making the OBS call other than not getting a unlikely possible out you probably shouldn't have gotten to begin?