[PeteBooth]

Originally posted by DownTownTonyBrown

So why does the FED rule include this statement....

Baseball adds 8-3-2 - the umpire shall award the obstructed runner and each other runner affected by the obstruction the bases they would have reached, in his opinion, had there been no obstruction. [/QUOTE]

Is this just so the umpire can potentially award more than one base?


IMO, this is the easiest way to understand the FED obstruction rule.

1. It is 1/2 Type "A" meaning the obstructed runner ALWAYS gets one base beyond his /her position at the time of the obstruction. and

2. 1/2 Type "B" meaning the ball in FED is ALWAYS delayed dead and the umpire may award more than one base but at the very MINIMUM you award one base beyond his /her position at the time of the obstruction.

FED recognized the need for a penalty which OBR doesn't that's why the FED includes the statement "One base beyond the position of the runer at the time of the infraction".
FED also recognizes the fact that depending upon the circumstance, the FED umpire may award more than one base.

IMO OBR's rule is ambiguous because in OBR type "B" the wording is IF ANY which caused a heated debate on another Forum.

Here's a play to CONTRAST OBR from FED which as mentioned caused a heated debate on another Forum.

Play: R1 one out. B1 hits to F6 for the "old fashion" 6-4-3 DP. R1 is obstructed by F3 BEFORE F6 releases the ball. Had R1 not been obstructed he /she would have been out at second by some 60ft. or so.

RULINGS:

OBR - On another Forum we received a ruling from the WUA (World Umpires association in which Rick Roder is a member).

Since R1 was obstructed BEFORE F6 released the ball. it is considered Type "B" obstruction in which case the OBR umpire can award NO base because of the Term IF ANY Therefore, in OBR the DP stands.

FED

In FED, R1 gets second base and the out at first stands.

SUMMARY: In OBR the DP ends the inning and the defense is in essence charged with NO penalty. In FED, the defense is penalized, R1 is awarded second base and the out at first stands.

Therefore, based upon the aforementioned, IMO it is the OBR wording that is ambiguous and not FED. In FED, we KNOW the obstructed runner unless there are some really weird circumstances like R1 passing his teammate, gets a base.

Pete Booth