[WestMichiganBlue]

Obstruction, when contact is involved, is fairly easy to call. But without contact you have to determine if the runner was impeded or hindered. What do you look for?

What carries more weight with you – the defender’s location, or the runner’s reaction?

If the defender is blocking access to the base (without the ball) and the runner is within a few steps or has already started to slide – has she been hindered? How do you know - absent a visible physical deviation (ie., stopping or turning away)?

A runner should have the option to come into a base standing up, or sliding straight in, or sliding to one corner, or a wide slide with a reach back with the hand, or (at home) to run through? If she executes a wide slide with reach back – is that a normal slide? Or did she do that because the plate was blocked? How do you know?

Situation 1: B1 hits a dribbler towards F1; R1 is coming home from 3B. The photo shows R1 just starting to drop into a slide straight into home; F2 is still behind the plate, and the ball from F1 is 10’ from F2.

Sit. 2: F2 is setup in front of the plate, R1 coming home, still upright 6’ from plate, ball is in flight somewhere. The photo shows R1 reaching with her left foot to touch the outside corner of the plate as F2 lunges at her with the ball.

I bring up Sit. 2 because it shows F2 in a legal defensive position, and notes that R1 elects to take the fastest route home by running through the plate. In Sit. 1 F2 took away the run through option (and possibly slide to either side because of her feet location) and appears to funnel a slide into the center of the plate.

So was R1 impeded in Sit. 1 – even though you could not detect a physical deviation?

Sit. 3 – attempted pick-off at 1B, F3 is blocking the base, R1 goes back wide headfirst and tries to tag the base with her hand. Was she impeded? How do you know? Might she have slide headfirst straight into the bag (quicker) or went back standing up?

All this brings me to my question: Do you, absent any contact, have to see a visible and definable physical deviation on the part of the runner before you will call obstruction?

My position: when I see a potential tag play developing I first locate the defender to see if she is in a legal, or illegal (blocking) position. If blocking, then I have obstruction in my mind. I wait until the runner reaches a decision point (6’ to 10’ from the base or plate); if the defender is still blocking – my left arm goes out. I don’t know what the runner was thinking, but if the defender is still blocking access she gets no help from me; benefit of doubt goes to the runner.

Agree? Or not?


WMB