Obstruction

[tibear]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

Well, I admit, I gave a short response cause I thought it was kind of funny after the last post with you tibear.

Mcrowder - A clinician once told me that in order to have obstruction you must have physical contact with the runner and the fielder (not counting any forms of obstruction that may be verbal).

Is this not true? 2-22 of FED reads "Obstruction is an act(intentional or unintentional, as well as physical or verbal) by a fielder, any member of the defensive team or its team personnel that hinders a runner or changes that pattern of play..."

Now I read this as physical in the literal sense of the word. Certainly in this sitch the pattern of play has been changed, but not because of any physical act by the fielder (if you wish to read physical as contact between two parties).

As I said, this comes from a clinician.

Is there a casebook ruling that I should be aware of?

(edited for clarity)

Sorry, but your clinician didn't know what he was talking about if he told you there has to be physical contact to have obstruction. That is plain wrong!

If a defensive player "impedes or hinders" the progress of a runner (when the defensive player doesn't have the ball, not imminently waiting for a thrown ball....) then it is obstruction. No physical contact need take place.