obstruction on a pickoff ?

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by FTVMartin

But the if the contact doesn't happen until the ball is nearly to the base then we have an immenent play. If a catcher is standing in the baseline while the ball is at the cutoff man of course it's obstruction but we don't have obstruction unless the runner is obstructed. By the time the pitcher makes his move and the starts coming back to first, the 1B is already in the act of making the play. Why is it now obstruction?

Part of this depends on the rules set being used. In LL (iirc), NCAA and FED (starting next year) F3 (and any fielder) must have the ball before he can block the base (yeah -- I know that's not the exact wording).

In pure OBR, and FED this year, a play must be imminent. That's generally interpreted as the ball being in flight. So, R1 could be obstructed while F1 is making a pick-off if the obstruction happens before the ball is released.