Obstruction by 1B
 

Basketball referee, baseball coach, so I'm not as aware of all of the rules as I would like to be. This situation came up in one of my games, and the field umpire and I had differing opinions.

R1 gets a base hit to left field, and jogs to 1B. While making his normal round, he bumps into F3 (my First Baseman). After the play was over, and the runner was back at the base, the Field Ump yells that obstruction occurred and awared the runner 2B. I went out and argued that the runner had no intent to get to 2B, nor would he have ever made it to 2B had the 'bump' not occurred. He first stated that the runner did try to go to 2B, then he retracted and said that it didn't matter, and told me to "Learn the rules."

I wasn't totally sure on this one, and tried to google the answer, but I figured I would check on here. I did not trust this guy because he totally blew two different rule interpretations later, so he became totally uncredible.

Basically, I am looking for the Fed explanation of what exactly obstruction is, and if I had a legitimate argument with the guy.

If this was a FED game and the obstruction occurred after the batter-runner touched first, the umpire was right. The rule requires a minimum one base award beyond the last base legally obtained prior to the obstruction.

In NCAA/OBR, the runner would likely only be protected back to first base in your situation.

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 the pattern of play.

I agree with you that the bump was probably *not* obstruction, but I wasn't there. If it was obstrcution, then 2b is the correct award (in FED).

Obstruction is hindering a runner without the ball. I'm reluctant to tell you that the umpire was wrong without seeing the play.

As a general rule, NFHS does not want OBS called on a routine rounding of 1B where the BR is watching the ball come into the infield before returning to the base.

That said, you might use this as a teaching moment for your F3: he shouldn't be standing where he was, or he risks an OBS call.

If it's a little brush of the shoulder, fine. If it bumps the BR off his path with the ball still in the outfield, I'm calling obstruction every time. In the end, F3 shouldn't be there and I have no problem making this call.

Well, it's often been said that anyone can call safe/out, fair/foul or ball/strike but it takes an umpire to call interference and obstruction!

Now I understand why!

On the one hand, we have an umpire who calls obstruction when there was obviously no reason to and on the other hand, we have someone who worries where the ball is in order to call obstruction.

Yes, I now agree that you have to be an umpire in order to understand and call interference and obstruction.

Ahem......
 

Ozzy's back (and stop taking your medication!).:D:D

Pithy remarks, but it is relevant where the ball is. Is it obstruction and is it type A or type B (if an OBR game). If you don't think the ball's location is relevant, well, perhaps we can find an umpire to explain it to you.