Obstruction Clarification
 

9/10/11 year olds. Runner on first. Batter hits a gapper. As he rounds first base, the first baseman unintentionally bumps into him. He makes it to second w/o a throw and makes no attempt to go to third (runner who occupied first is now on third).

Do I protect the obstructed runner only into 2nd base?

If he is thrown out by 20 ft at second, can he still be called out?

If it is a close out at third (assuming the batter attempted), can he be called safe due to the obstruction between 1B and 2B?

Is the placement of the runners at the discretion of the umpire when the ball becomes dead (ie. the runner stopped running to 2B at the point of obstruction and returned to 1B. Can he be awarded second?)

Thank you for the help!

For type B obstruction you protect the runner to the base(s) if any that will nullify the act of the obstruction. In other words, if you feel he lost a step on the obstruction and he's thrown out by ten steps, he's continued to advance at his own peril and he would be called out.


Tim.

The awarding of bases is a at the umpire's discretion and not automatic. So if the obstruction is between 1B and 2B and in my judgement, the runner lost two steps going to 2B, should he be called safe if he is thrown at by a step at 3B?

That's hard to say. You'd have to determine if the runner rounded second in one continuous movement and decide if the obstruction hindered that progression, and if so, by exactly how much. Evans does a nice job of explaining type B obstruction.


Customs and Usage: Since the ball is not dead on this type obstruction, the runner has the right to advance at his own peril. At the time of obstruction, the umpire should point laterally and verbally call..."That's Obstruction."' At that time, the umpire should decide which base the runner would most likely reach safely and protect him to that base. If the runner advances beyond that projected base, he does so at his own risk and is subject to being put out. Fielders may obstruct runners without actually touching them. For instance, an infielder who is not in the act of fielding a thrown ball cannot stand in the runner's projected base path forcing him to "go around" the fielder to avoid contact. This would be obstruction.



Tim.

Here's what I'm being told, "If the obstruction occurs between 1B and 2B, the runner cannot be called out at 2B!"

True. The award may be 1st, but the protection is between 1st and 2nd.

You are better off not trying to count or estimate steps. Simply make a judgment based on what you know at the moment of the OBS... ask yourself, "Where would this runner have ended up had there been no OBS." And then protect them to that base.

I disagree, anything can happen after the obs that could still effect how far the runner may have gotten. See the OBS see the completion of the play, then rule. Which took longer time.

Ie: the runner rounds first, F3 bumps and a) the runner stumbles slightly and keeps going, and B) the runner falls to the ground, gets up and keeps going. The outfielder making the play on the ball then misses the Cutoff man and the ball ends up at the screen behind home plate. What would have been a normal stand up double now has the runner going to 3rd. Lets say he is now Thrown out by 5 steps. I sit A) i have an out, in Sit b) i have safe on the OBS.

But to determine at the time of OBS, i'm only giving 2nd, would have been incorrect. That would not have been the true result of the play as it ended up occuring.

Rule codes matter

In HS and NCAA, the obstructed runner is going to get a minimum of a one base award. Also, in both FED / NCAA OBS is a dealyed call.

In your scenario under FED / NCAA rules, R1 could be thrown out by 50 ft. at second base but he is still going to be awarded that base.

OBR is different. In OBR you wait until all playing action ends, then you determine what base IF ANY the runner would have acheived absent the OBS.

Let's say R1 was thrown out by some 20 ft. at second base. In OBR one would probably allow the out to stand because absent the OBS he would not have achieved second base anyhow.

As far as giving add'l awards on OBS depends upon post obstruction evidence. ie; fielder misplaying the ball, bad throw etc.

Pete Booth

I've read that phrase when I accidentally was reading some softball material.

That said, I think it applies to FED as well (but isn't commonly used as an expression, at least around here).