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Obstruction on Pickoff
OBR
F3 is positioned with his right foot on the corner of first base that points towards the mound. When the pickoff throw comes from F1, he takes his whole foot and puts it length wise on the second base side of first base to block the runner diving back and applies the tag. Would this be obstruction or legal since he is in the act of fielding the ball? |
I guess it would be a judgement call. If he intentionally put his foot there, which what it sounds like to me, he is denying access to the base. I would call obstruction.
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First, receiving a pickoff throw from F1 is not "fielding the ball," a phrase generally reserved for a batted ball. The protection a fielder has while fielding a batted ball he has ONLY on a batted ball. In OBR, the fielder can block the base once F1 has thrown the ball. The play you describe is HTBT, but it's possible under OBR that your play is legal. FYI, FED has made this play OBS: F3 cannot deny access to the base until he has the ball. |
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NCAA: Obstruction, if the "contact" happened before F3 caught the ball; legal if the contact happened after F3 caught the ball (the timing of the placing of the foot is not relevant) FED: Legal, assuming the F3's foot is shorter than the side of the base (15") -- F3 has left access to part of the base, even if it's not the part R1 wanted (see 8.3.2G, 8.3.2L). If the entire base is blocked, then the same as NCAA. |
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regards |
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Since the throw from F1 to F3 on a pickoff is always an "imminent" play, F3 is OK to block the base once F1 has thrown the ball. QED. ;) |
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falsecut,
In FED, the standard convention is that "dashes" are used for Rule Book cites and "dots" are used for Case Book cites. Bob is referencing the Case Book. JM |
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