Toss up? Obstruction and Interference on same play
 

B1 hits short gapper to right. R1, slower than molasses, rounds second running into an apparently oblivious F6 (obs) and continues on to 3B where throw somehow just beats him to the base. R1 does a very fumbled slide into 3B as BR, a speed burner, motors towards second. The fumbled slide goes off to the side into F5 (int) interfering with F5's ability to get a throw off to 2B and the throw just misses BR.

Ruling? Interested in finding out how many have same opinion.

Why is this interference?

Given that it is (and I'm not convinced based on the description), then R1 is awarded third on the obstruction, but is out on the interference. BR returns to first.

I'd also have to see it...interference would be a tough call here (again, I didn't see it)...but yep, that's what I'd call too...then get the offensive coach and talk to him before he blows up in your face. or not? :-)

Is the ball still live after obstructed R1 is played on at 3B?

Bob,

This is strictly theoretical. Suffice it to say that the slide hindered the throw. This is one possibility. Absent the obs - R1 makes it to 3B standing up, instead of being out. Because he is awarded 3B on the obs, he can't be called for int, unless the two events are mutually exclusive. Given that, could you not also, call out BR if you felt that there was a legitimate play?

I'm not necessarily ruling one way or the other, just trying to get a take on it.

The OBS and INT are seperate events. A runner 'protected' by OBS is not shielded against an INT call later in the play, just as the obstructed runner can be tagged out if he proceeds past his 'protected' base on his own volition.

Don't we have a dead ball the instant the obstructed runner is apparently put out? If so, there's no INT, as nothing else happened.

Not in FED.

If the two events are mutually exclusive and you call int on R1, if, in your opinion, the BR could have been thrown out at 2B absent the int, could you not also call out the BR at second. I didn't see anbody answer that.

You can call 2 IF you are certain that the INT prevented a double play. I would submit that this bar is set very, very high, however.

I agree the bar is set very high. I would guess it would depend on how obvious the situation was.

What did he do to interfere? I couldn't tell in your OP (but i dont think that's what you're mainly concerned with).

If a runner is obstructed, that doesn't mean he's immuned to interference as well. If he interferes, even before his protected base, call him out and call a DP if the situation warrants.

I have Type B obs, which becomes Type A when that runner was played upon. Call Time, enforce the Obs. BR returned to 1st.

This OBR , and possibly a Canadian interp.

"Willful and Deliberate Interference" is the key here...if you're calling Interference and the double play (in this sitch...proceed cautiously with that ruling)...In an interference situation...wouldn't the play stop right there? In OBS, since there isn't a play being made on the runner at the time of the OBS, your play doesn't stop. And if you have interference...R1 is out and BR goes back to 1st base. This is a good sitch to discuss...lots of different interpretations here...and I guess that's why the board is here!

Once he is "out" at third, call time, and "award" him third base on the obstruction. All other runners return to the last base they occupied when you called time. Now there is no interference because the ball has become dead.