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From ASA Rules Supplement 13F (older version of the rule book; may be a different RS now):
"When a defensive player is fielding a thrown ball and the flight of the ball carries or draws them into the path of the base runner, it is not a crash."
The catcher initially set up barely up the third base line (one foot in the RHB's box, the other in front of home plate). The throw took her essentially four feet further up the line and into foul territory. And she basically caught the ball a split second before R1 collided with her.
So, when do you apply RS 13F? Does it only come into play if the runner collides with the fielder before she has the ball? In that case, it would clearly be obstruction.
One more thing as a food for thought. The catcher here was really not waiting to make a tag. It was pretty close to the ball and runner arriving at the same time.
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"Let's face it. Umpiring is not an easy or happy way to make a living. In the abuse they suffer, and the pay they get for it, you see an imbalance that can only be explained by their need to stay close to a game they can't resist." -- Bob Uecker
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