Obstruction: Score the run?
 

Group was divided on this situation tonight.

R1, R3 - 2 outs.

R1 takes off towards 2nd, F6 goes to cover the base; however, F4 goes too and obstructs R1. F1 throws to F6 who tags R1. R3 is 3/4 down the line when the "3rd" out occurs. BU ruled obstruction and awards R1 2nd base and sends R3 back to third.

What would nullify the obstruction?

I have R2 and a run scoring.

As do I...

I tried to break it down as if you are rewarding the defense for obstructing if you send R3 back.

Arguements were made that since it was the "3rd" the defense would think the inning was over thus thinking they wouldn't have to play on R3.

I concur with Matt.

I believe that Evans offers the ROT that if an unobstructed runner is "more than halfway" when you kill it for obstruction on another runner, you award the unobstructed runner his advance base.

JM

Sounds to me like type B obstruction on F4 then calling time once R1 was tagged at second and rewarding him second.

I am going to go against the grain on this one and say that once time is called R3 can not further advance to score. You cannot score R3 as he is not the one being obstructed so unless he had crossed home when time was called he returns to third.

tank,

Got a cite?

I believe you're mistaken.

JM

I concur with Matt

Read the rule carefully - you can award whatewver you want to award to offset the obstruction.

With the ball out near second, and R3 heading home, yeah, we're giving him the plate. Half way, or not, he had a chance to score, and that's all that's needed.

I'm really lost --- what "divided" this group? Umpires vs non-umpires? What justification did anyone have for sending the runner back to third?

You can go against the grain if you just want to be unique... but there's no rule to back you up, at least not for the reason you state.

PS - PLEASE use the word AWARDED, not REWARDED, especially when discussing this with a coach or other umpires.

Could be type A OBS, although the ball is certainly dead on the tag (or on the OBS if it was indeed type A).

But the question is not whether R3 had touched the plate when the ball became dead, it's whether he would have scored absent the OBS.

In this case, I'm awarding R3 home.

I believe it was the fact that the defense thought they recorded the 3rd out; therefore, they didn't think they would need to play on R3.

Again, I tried to put them in the direction that if you send R3 back you are basically rewarding them for obstruction and why wouldn't a defensive team obstruct everytime?

That doesn't make much sense since we killed the play on the tag anyway.

Sounds like Type A so TIME is called on the tag of R1. This prevented R3 from scoring and since he was 1/2 way, I score him and put R1 on 2nd.