NCAA Obstruction
 

Hi there - obviously new here. Just polling for others perspective.

NCAA. Does type 1 and 2 OBS apply when only type 2 occurs?

In otherwords - if R1 is obstructed by F6 on a base hit to the outfield, do you enforce type 2 by awarding R1 3rd AND enforce type 1 by awarding the BR 2d?

From last season's supplement to the NCAA baseball rules 2011:

Page 8, Play 2
With a runner on first, B3 hits into the gap. R1 rounds second and collides with F6. He gets up and advances past third and about halfway home. He then decides to retreat back to third as the ball is relayed hime.

Ruling 2: The ball is not dead; play continues until all action has ceased. R1 should be awarded the base that the umpire feels will nullify the obstruction. B3 will remain wherever he ended up. The throw home was not affected by the obstruction; either B3 advanced to second on the throw or he stayed at first.

It's not exactly your play but has enough there to help rule. Type 1 is an immediate dead ball. That was no the case in your play. With Type 2, let the play continue and award as necessary. If the runner was impeded on his way to third, give him that base. According to the supplement, the BR had a base hit and stays put.

R1 obstruction is a delayed dead ball. Type 1 is an immediate dead ball. You can't have both take place at the same time. R1 obstruction for this scenario has no bearing on the number of bases BR can achieve.

You will award R1 with the base you believe he could have obtained at the end of all playing action. There is no award to the BR because he wasn't obstructed.

Just to confirm my own understanding of this situation:

R1 could be awarded home if the umpire judged that R1 could have scored, even though R1 had retreated back to third. (I have heard some persons argue that if he had given up on his forward advance, he doesn't get that advance base.)

Also, (same scenario but w/2 outs), but in this case the throw from the outfield went into second nailing the BR who tried to stretch it into a double - thus the 3rd out. R1 was only half way home from 3rd when the out was made. Umpire could score R1 judging that R1 would have scored before the 3rd out (Time Play).

Both of these outcomes are legitimate awards based upon umpire judgement in this OBS situation?

Legitimate, but rare, based on the way I see the play unfolding.

I'd agree on this play, but this isn't an absolute. I've moved up trailing runners because the basepaths were clogged with obstructed runners who should've been farther along on the basepaths absent the obstruction.

Correct: the rule permits umpires to place runners, not necessarily just the obstructed runner, in order to nullify the obstruction.

If the obstructed runner causes a log jam, you will probably best serve the game by placing runners behind them at the next base. In the ruling I cited from the NCAA, the trailing runner is not entitled to an award as the obstruction didn't affect him. The same can be said for the OP.

"R1 obstruction for this scenario"

Full meaning: There are other scenarios where this does not apply.

No, OBS is either one or the other.

Is R1 rounding 2b and heading for 3b and minus the OBS would he have safely reached 3b? You have a judgment to make there. If you don't think he would've reached 3b anyway, you protect him to 2b, not 3B, he can advance there on his own minus protection...assuming you think he'd have reached 3b, you protect him to 3b. As for the batter/runner, you have a judgment to determine there as well...however, you might leave B/R at 1B, you don't have to award him any base other than what he's reached on his own. You have some judgments to make there, that is for sure.

No argument from me. Just throwing something else out.

Wading back into NCAA ball this season, so I've started looking at the materials I got already. Things have changed a bit in the last 3 years.