Reds/Pirates Catcher Obstruction (7.13)

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Manny A

And on force plays at home, there shouldn't be any reason to penalize the catcher for being on the plate.

Excellent explanation that the home plate collision rule is not a type of obstruction. And I agree that merely being on the plate cannot be a reason to penalize the catcher.

But if the catcher on a force play is blocking the runner's pathway as he is attempting to score, the risk of collision is still present. On a force play where the runner can overrun the base, like at first or home, the runner does not want to slide, since that is slightly slower to the base than overrunning it. So the risk of collision on a force play when the catcher blocks the runner's pathway perhaps is even greater than on a tag play where sliding or avoiding is used. The catcher just needs a toe on the base/plate and a glove well away from the runner's pathway. Absent a bad throw, there's no reason to block the runner's entire pathway.

(p.s., I know the putout at first is not technically a force play.)