2 easy obstruction questions

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by Little Jimmy

Here are two potential obstruction situations that happened on my field this weekend. Both seem easy but after thinking (and re-thinking) I'm still asking your opinions. Maybe I'm missing something.

1. Batter pops a little blooper in between F1, F3 and F4. Ball hits ground and F1 takes control. Both F3 and F4 head toward 1st base. F3 gets there first and sets up for the throw but F4 drifts about 3-4 feet behind the orange bag. It's a close play with B1 being called out, but as she takes her final stride to the bag she hits orange and immediately makes a sharp right, potentially because she sees F4 standing a few feet in front of her. Obstruction?

2. The typical situation where F3 is standing next to 1st base when the ball is hit to the outfield with no play being made at 1st. Some runners try to hit the inside corner and have to do a swerve step to avoid F3. Other runners seem to accept that F3 is cutting off the inside portion of the bag and take a much wider turn, but with no real visible change in their running motion. So, is the fact that F3 is setting up on the corner enough to call obstruction? Or do I need to see a real deviation in the way the runner moves around 1st?

Yes, possibly the easiest questions you have ever posted, maybe.

1) If you judge the sharp right turn was because of F4 AND it kept BR from reaching 1st ASAP, then yes.
Hard to judge that, but 3-4 ft is pretty close.
If ruled OBS, not necessarily an award of 1st, as you then must judge if BR would have made it w/o the OBS.
The bolded part is the key and you must judge "because she sees F4".

2) Yes, as long as the runner actually makes a turn or attempts to. Again, the bolded is the key, but you do need to see a "real deviation".
"F3 is setting up on the corner" is not acceptable anytime the possibility of a turn exists, so I would call OBS.
The base coach would then ask if she gets 2nd, NO.