What constitutes an "attempt to advance"?

[PandaBear]

I tend to agree; why penalize the offense for a defensive violation? But there were those of the opinion that the last clause, returning the batter, should prevail over the first clause, when we post-gamed it. NFHS Softball lacks the clause about awarding/allowing the runner's advance, and allows advance only when forced if obstruction is enforced.

Does anyone have handy earlier years' NFHS baseball rules to see if the current wording has changed recently? And perhaps other codes may not have caught up? Upon reading Bob J's observation about its purpose, it does read like there might have been the addition to address the very situation Bob notes.