Blocking the base

[Carl Childress]

Originally posted by bossman72
R1 stealing. F6 sets up to take the throw from F2 straddling the bag with his left foot blocking the base. R1 slides and would have beat the tag, but he slides right into F6's leg and never gets to the base and is tagged out.

Anything wrong with this play?

Conversely, what if F3 blocks the base at first when receiving the throw on a pickoff?

Are any of these different than when a catcher blocks the plate on a play at home?

A couple of these plays came up this year (luckily none were my call) and i'm not too sure of the exact ruling to be consistant with my calls.

Please also mention how obstruction comes into play in these scenarios.

Thanks a bunch!

bossman72

If you're using OBR rules, it's not obsturction by F6 or F3 since the fielder is in the act of fielding a ball. 2.00 obstruction. Roder defines trying to field a ball as, among other things, a fielder "positioning himself for the purpose of trying to glove a rapidly approaching ball."

FED is the same. CB 8.3.2c.

In NCAA, both F6 and F3 are guilty of obstruction since they blocked the base "clearly without possession of the ball." 2-Obstruction A.R.

All of this is covered in the BRD, Section 337. You get the BRD here: http://shop.officiating.com/x/product/brd2005