Obstruction?

[Spence]

I saw this highlight and , not being an umpire, I can only assume the umpire's pointing means it was obstruction.

Is the fielder/catcher not allowed to go up the line to get the ball?

Educate me on the rule behind this call.

Thanks

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[bob jenkins]

maybe the umpire judged that F2's actions were more to impede than to catch the ball. Hard to say given the poor throw.

[bluehair]

In HS (Fed) this would be obstruction, because F2 didn't have the ball. In OBR a fielder is not obstructing if he is judged to be in the act of gloving a throw (judgement call). I don't do NCAA, dunno the obstruction criteria.

[MD Longhorn]

The contact occurred after the ball had been missed - there's no longer any "about-to-receive"ness to worry about at that point... now we just have a catcher who is in the basepath without the ball and not receiving a throw. Easy obstuction and good call (not that it was necessary, he scored anyway).

[Robmoz]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

The contact occurred after the ball had been missed - there's no longer any "about-to-receive"ness to worry about at that point... now we just have a catcher who is in the basepath without the ball and not receiving a throw. Easy obstuction and good call (not that it was necessary, he scored anyway).

Wouldn't the obstruction acknowledgement be the proper mechanic but maybe the award pointing was not needed?

[bluehair]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

The contact occurred after the ball had been missed - there's no longer any "about-to-receive"ness to worry about at that point... now we just have a catcher who is in the basepath without the ball and not receiving a throw. Easy obstuction and good call (not that it was necessary, he scored anyway).

I thought that the collision was occuring before the throw arrived and was the cause of F2 missing the throw. I thought the poor throw coupled with the collision before the throw arrived was reasonable cause to call obstruction.

But if the throw was missed right before the collision, then I think there is less justification for obstruction. In J/R, they distinguish between a batted ball and a throw. On a batted ball, the fielder needs to disappear or risk obstruction. On a thrown ball, the fielder need not disappear (as would be this case here, if F2 missed the throw before the contact). There may be a conflicting interp that I'm not aware of.

Mostly, I see nothing but a train wreck. F2 was doing what he's supposed to do which absolves him of obstruction outside of Fed code.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by bluehair

F2 was doing what he's supposed to do

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.

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.

[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).

[bob jenkins]

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...

I don't think that's a good guideline. Since the ball moves faster than the runner, if the ball is "closer" than the runner at any point, then the ball will by definition get to the fielder first. So, there would be no need for the "about to receive" part of the rule.