Obstruction by F6

[jTheUmp]

Having a brain freeze at the moment... I know I know the answer to this...

FED rules.

R2 only, one out.

Batter hits a ground ball to 3rd. R2 takes off running towards 3rd. F5 fields it cleanly, R2 stops and starts retreating towards 2nd. F6 attempts to get into position (about 20 feet from 2nd, directly in R2's path back to 2nd) to field a throw from F5, forcing R2 to go around F6 (no contact is ever made between the two, but R2 had to run about 5 feet out of his way to avoid F6).

F6 eventually throws to F4 for a tag play at 2nd, but F4 drops the ball and R2 returns safely to 2nd.

Is the obstruction ignored because R2 made it back to 2nd?

If R2 had been tagged out, under FED rules we award R2 3rd (one base beyond position where obstruction occurred), right?

If both of those things are true, doesn't this give an advantage to the defensive team because R2 gets 2nd base if F6 and F4 screw up by obstructing and dropping the ball respectively?

[nopachunts]

Originally Posted by jTheUmp

Having a brain freeze at the moment... I know I know the answer to this...

FED rules.

R2 only, one out.

Batter hits a ground ball to 3rd. R2 takes off running towards 3rd. F5 fields it cleanly, R2 stops and starts retreating towards 2nd. F6 attempts to get into position (about 20 feet from 2nd, directly in R2's path back to 2nd) to field a throw from F5, forcing R2 to go around F6 (no contact is ever made between the two, but R2 had to run about 5 feet out of his way to avoid F6).

F6 eventually throws to F4 for a tag play at 2nd, but F4 drops the ball and R2 returns safely to 2nd.

Is the obstruction ignored because R2 made it back to 2nd?

If R2 had been tagged out, under FED rules we award R2 3rd (one base beyond position where obstruction occurred), right?

If both of those things are true, doesn't this give an advantage to the defensive team because R2 gets 2nd base if F6 and F4 screw up by obstructing and dropping the ball respectively?

Was F5 moving toward R2 at the time that R2 had to go around F6, a rundown? How did F6 get the ball?

If F5 was running toward R2, a rundown, I would point at the obstruction and say "That's Obstruction". Let the playing action finish and then make awards to nullify the obstruction. If this was a rundown situation, I would award R2 3B.

[scrounge]

If you've got obstruction, FED award is a minimum one base past what he already legally acquired at time of infraction, so automatic award of 3B if there's OBS, safe or out at 2B.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by nopachunts

Was F5 moving toward R2 at the time that R2 had to go around F6, a rundown? How did F6 get the ball?

If F5 was running toward R2, a rundown, I would point at the obstruction and say "That's Obstruction". Let the playing action finish and then make awards to nullify the obstruction. If this was a rundown situation, I would award R2 3B.

R2 automatically gets 3B.

[jicecone]

NFHS 8-3-1.2 "When a runner is obstructed while advancing or returning to a base, the umpire shall award the obstructed runner a minimum of one base beyond his position on base when the obstruction occurred."

No the obstruction is not ignored. I think OBR would handle it that way though.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by jicecone

NFHS 8-3-1.2 "When a runner is obstructed while advancing or returning to a base, the umpire shall award the obstructed runner a minimum of one base beyond his position on base when the obstruction occurred."

No the obstruction is not ignored. I think OBR would handle it that way though.

OBS in a rundown in OBR is an immediate dead ball and a (minimum) one base award.

[jicecone]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

OBS in a rundown in OBR is an immediate dead ball and a (minimum) one base award.

Yes, Thanks Bob, I was thinking of the play a few years ago where the runner over ran 3B, was obstructed and retreated back to 3B. Delayed DB, it was not a rundown.

[jTheUmp]

Yes, R2 was in a rundown when the obstruction by F6 occurred.

I was having a hard time reconciling the "always award one base beyond" with the "obstruction is ignored if runner reaches base he would've reached absent the obstruction"... In FED, the former takes precedence over the later.

Thanks all.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by jTheUmp

Yes, R2 was in a rundown when the obstruction by F6 occurred.

I was having a hard time reconciling the "always award one base beyond" with the "obstruction is ignored if runner reaches base he would've reached absent the obstruction"... In FED, the former takes precedence over the later.

Thanks all.

That phrasing has caused much confusion -- for just the reason you mention. they meant "reaches the *advance* base ..."

In fact, they might have changed this wording last year to try to correct this?