Little League Rules - OBS

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

I think you have to call "time" on the type A obstruction here, Manny. If the runner is still scrambling to touch the plate when you recognize the OBS, you're going to set yourself up for a shart storm if F1 manages to lay a tag on him before he touches the plate. Think about what might happen if the runner didn't touch the plate. Lets say he missed it. Now the defense appeals the miss and you're going to have to go backwards and now call the OBS. Kind of ugly. This is a play where I'm going to make the call and place other runners.

Don't get me wrong, Tim. If I see the Type A OBS, I'll kill play and call it. I just got the impression from Mike's post that if the OBS happens at home but the runner manages to touch home before being tagged, he wouldn't bother acknowledging the violation.

So here's a potential FUBAR should that happen: R1 and R3, passed ball. R3 is obstructed by F1 before F1 receives the throw from F2, but adjusts and touches home just before F1 catches the ball. F1, after placing a late tag on R3, looks up and sees R1 take too wide a turn at second base. He throws to F4 covering second, and the ball gets by, allowing R1 to reach third safely.

The defensive manager comes out, and asks the PU, "Didn't my pitcher obstruct the runner before he scored?" If the PU says anything other than, "Nope," we might have a problem. An answer of, "Yes, and his award would have been home plate, which he touched anyway," would cause that shart storm.

[Steve Meyer]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

Because he was asking about NOT calling the obstruction. And if you don't call it when it happens, then a missed base appeal is a possibility that you're going to have to explain away if you have to retroactively call it. It helps if you read all of the posts in the thread before you "jump" in and post under this new alias.


Tim.

I did read it. Your post started the thread in a whole different direction.

Another question was posed about ignoring the obstruction if the runner touched home, and keeping the ball live. How is a missed base appeal a possibility, when he was denied the plate to begin with? Never heard of this happening under any set of rules. I think you're taking the situation a bit too far.

I not waiting to call obstruction. I call it when it happens. It sounds like you would have the offensive team put in a substitute/pinch runner to complete the last half foot of the award if the runner was hurt, and couldn't finish his base award.

Sometimes you just have to umpire, and not overthink the rules. If not you can always go to instant replay. After all this is LL.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by mbyron

That's not what I was taught: it means that the ball is over the infield. The ball moves a LOT faster than the runner.

That's how I was taught as well.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by Welpe

That's how I was taught as well.

And this is exactly why the NCAA, LL, and other organizations changed the Obstruction rule...

[Welpe]

The NCAA didn't completely change it did they? I was under the impression that about to receive was still a valid exemption from obstruction but that a fielder couldn't completely block a bag off on a pick off play.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by Welpe

The NCAA didn't completely change it did they? I was under the impression that about to receive was still a valid exemption from obstruction but that a fielder couldn't completely block a bag off on a pick off play.

Actually, they did completely change a few years ago, but then modified the change last year to allow for "about to receive" on thrown balls except for pick-off plays, as you stated. I should have clarified that.