Quote:
Originally Posted by DG
So, NCAA has flopped and you no longer have to have the ball?
I checked and found following, so I answered my own question.... or in the act of fielding the ball, is an add for 2011.
Obstruction
SECTION 54. The act of a fielder who, while not in possession of or in the act of fielding the ball, impedes the progress of any runner.
Still though, after he drops it, he is no longer fielding but scrambling for loose ball. Is it a stretch to allow him to do that after NOT fielding the ball, and tag a runner who was blocked while he was trying to field?
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DG,
I think of it more as "getting back to basics" rather than "flopping", but either way, it is certainly a material change. I first learned the rules on OBR, so I always felt the exclusion of the "in the act of fielding" exception in FED and NCAA unreasonably tipped the balance of play in favor of the offense. Objectively, I can see supportable arguments on both sides of the question.
In regard to your second question, I believe the proper interpretation is that as long as the ball remains "within reach" of the fielder (as it appears it did in the video), he's OK. If he has to move more than "a step and a reach" he would be liable to an obstruction call.
JM