Play at the plate

[AC Blue]

Gentlemen:

I have been lurking on this site for a year now and have now decided it's high time to ask a question. So here goes.

Boys 13,14, & 15 year old, house league. I'm working the dish. R3 with 1 out. BR flys out to F9 for 2nd out. R3 tags up and heads for home. F2 sets up to receive the ball from F9. He blocks the plate with his leg as he receives the ball. R3 is sliding in feet first at the same time. I'm in 1BLX. Catcher receives the ball and tries to apply the tag but drops the ball. He still has the plate blocked with his leg so R3 never makes it to the plate. Players do not move. The catcher is blocking the plate and the runner is on his back with his foot stretched towards the plate. I don't make a call yet because I have nothing. No out and no safe. In what seemed like 5 seconds, but could have been shorter, the catcher reaches over, picks up the ball and touches R3. I call him out. Of course I heard a lot of "He dropped the ball blue". So I followed up with "Runner did not touch home and was tagged out".

Now my question. Could this have been obstruction on the catcher since he did not have the ball (he dropped it) but was still blocking the plate? I checked my J/R but could not find a definitive answer.

Thanks,
Steve

Sunny CA