Quote:
Originally posted by buddymoran
This happened recently in an international girls youth softball tournament in Australia. ASA rules were used with some exceptions. One of them states: "Any runner is out when she/he does not slide or attempt to get around a fielder who has the ball and waiting to make a tag or is in the act of receiving the ball. Similarly, a fielder without the ball must yield the right of way to all runners or be subject to an obstruction call."
Top of 7th inning of championship game, one out, runners on 2nd & 3rd, home team up 5-4. Next batter bunts down 3rd, fielder throws to 1st, runner on 3rd runs toward home. 1st base gets batter-runner out and throws to catcher at home plate. Runner on 3rd slides to home before catcher receives the ball. However, catcher is up the base path and blocks runner from reaching home plate. Is runner out? or should catcher be called for obstruction?
ASA interpretation says catcher commits obstruction (not yet in the process of catching the ball). Local rules is interpreted different ways. Visitor's manager says local rule's 1st line says runner is not out because she slid and 2nd line says catcher should be called for obstruction because she did not have the ball when she blocked runners way. Home officials said fielder was in the act of receiving the ball, so should not be called for obstruction.
Who's right?
|
Speaking ISF, obstruction
Speaking ASA, if the play happened exactly as you have related and the ball never got closer to the catcher than the runner, it was most likely obstruction.
My question would be if the catcher was that far up the line and the ball wasn't there, why did the runner slide? Should have just ran around her, and that in itself may have drawn an obstruction call.
JMHO,