Call or not

[umpire99]

FED game. Runner is coming home at the same time as the relay throw from
F5. For some reason, F1 is up the line about five feet in front of F2. F1 attempts to catch the throw and it glances off his glove to F2. The runner bumps F1 and is tagged out by F2. I know this is a HTBT situation, but from the information presented, what should have been called?

[mbyron]

If F1 is in the runner's path without the ball -- as the bump suggests -- that is obstruction.

[scarolinablue]

If F1 does not possess the ball, he has no right to hinder the progress of the runner. I've got obstruction and an award of home to the runner. I find it hard to award the ignorance of the defense with a no call in this situation. That said, a lot of it IS HTBT.

Now, if F1 makes the catch and tags out the runner, I've got an out.

[RadioBlue]

Sounds like you might have an obstruction call here as the contact with F1 ocurred after he was no longer about to receive a thrown ball. To me, this is much like an obstruction that we see quite often in a rundown situation.

[jdmara]

Obstruction

-Josh