Obstruction or interference

[Carl Childress]

Here's a question from the 1996 Texas state umpires' exam.

The runner from second is advancing on a hit when he is obstructed by the third baseman. The runner then trips over the third base and, as he rises, is pushed toward home by the head coach. The umpire will rule:

A. The obstruction balances out the interference. Let the play stand.
B. Penalize the obstruction since it occurred first.
C. Call the runner out after playing action is over.
D. Call the runner out and kill play immediately.

As part of the new state curriculum, I am putting together a data bank of about 1000 test questions asked of our umpires over the past 15 years. (Texas doesn't use the NFHS test: too many complaints about trick questions. We don't use their football rules, either.)

I'm editing the questions for form and content. For example, I have to change those that say the umpire calls out the runner for missing second to "calls him out on proper appeal." Etc.

I also have to update the Answer Keys in light of rule changes. Etc.

I've finished about 700 and arrived at the question above. Procedure: I take the test and compare my answers with theirs. I'm doing pretty well. (grin) But my answer for this question differed from theirs.

There hasn't been a relevant rule change, and I don't have any record of arguing with Dotson Lewis about this item. And I don't have my answer sheet from February 1996.

My question, then, is:

Should the "correct" answer be:

B. Penalize the obstruction since it occurred first.

or

C. Call the runner out after playing action is over.

Help convince me that I'm wrong and Dotson was right.

Pick your answer and support it with rules language or standard baseball explication.

FED rules only, of course.

BTW: I picked answer....

Lah, me: You didn't really think I was going to reveal that, did you?