Obstruction?

[bluehair]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

I hate this phrase. 99% of the time it means the umpire has no idea what the rules are (not necessarily saying that about you here). There's no rule that says if players are simply doing "what they are supposed to do", we ignore the other rules.

One can not claim a player is "doing what he is suppose to do" if he was 'violating a rule". "Doing what he is supposed to be doing" and "violating a rule" are mutually exclusive phrases. If he is "doing what he is supposed to be doing" and not violating a rule, you've got nothing. But there are times when a player is "doing what he is supposed to be doing", then suddenly "violate a rule", which some might think is the case here.

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

If the contact happened before the throw came in - it's OBS because there is no throw that is closer to the fielder than the runner is - which is the guideline taught for a fielder about to receive a throw... If it happened after, it's OBS for essentially the same reason. In either case, the fielder is in the path of the runner, without the ball, and not about to receive a thrown ball. Textbook obstruction.

In Fed code, I agree. Outside of Fed code, I do not (reasons previously given).

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by bluehair

One can not claim a player is "doing what he is suppose to do" if he was 'violating a rule". "Doing what he is supposed to be doing" and "violating a rule" are mutually exclusive phrases. If he is "doing what he is supposed to be doing" and not violating a rule, you've got nothing. But there are times when a player is "doing what he is supposed to be doing", then suddenly "violate a rule", which some might think is the case here

Fair enough ... and I assume that's what YOU meant.

But I hate the phrase because so many (coaches, fans, even umpires who don't really study or visit sites like this) use it to ignore or trump the rules. Especially obstruction, sometimes interference. Heard it once from a partner trying to describe why he didn't call a batter out when they dropped the bat on a ball they had hit ... "But he's required to drop the bat, he was only doing what he is supposed to do." And another who runs a FB site dedicated to umpires used that phrase to ignore OBS on a F3 who jumped toward a BR and obstructed them on an errant throw they had no chance of catching.