OBS at 1B
 

Just wanted to get some professional feedback... some good high-level ball (catch-up evaluations from my NCAA assignor)...

I'm BU in "A", grounder to F6, off-line throw pulls F3 into the path of BR (ball gets by F3) and there's a pretty good meeting of bodies at the bag. Both go down.
My OBS arm goes out (I think I did it "just for the record"). Ball didn't travel to far, if BR got up and ran to 2B I would've protected her back to 1B.

DC got way more PO'd than I'd expect him to (at the OBS call). Maybe he was concerned about his F3's condition, and he took my OBS call as "callous"? (I was concerned about BOTH players' conditions).

Was my OBS call out of line, and that should've been just a "wreck"? If I didn't call it, and BR got up and was put out by 10' at 2B, could I call it after the fact & protect her back to 1B?

Do you mean because the players seemed injured?

If the OBS was before 1B, how do you protect the runner beyond first if you are not going to award her 2B?

1. no, I don't think thats why Im questioning my call. The DC complained to my partner behind the plate (never came to me to question it). I just saw quite animated arm waving. I waited 2 innings, then went to talk with my partner.
"Is this guy questioning my OBS call?"
"Nah, I think maybe that arm went out a little to quickly... next time, just wait a couple beats to see what happens first,"



2. in other threads here, I've read the consensus to be, when the (wreck) occurs right at the back, the OBS could be considered to be affecting the runner between those next 2 bases.

I'd award 1st base only, and kill the play as soon as the players are injured, because to do otherwise would jeopardize the safety of the 1st baseman and the batter-runner. Even though softball, like high school baseball, treats all obstructions as delayed dead balls, in this case, I would treat it as an immediate dead ball, due to the player injuries.

WOW, I am either completely off my rules & judgment today or ….

1. OBS is called when it happens (at 1st in the OP), not after the effect, and never after the play.

2. The PU was wrong about
a) listening to the DC about your call
b) waiting a beat to see what happens

3) the protection between 1st & 2nd is not being put out, then an award of one or the other

4) immediate dead ball is appropriate if, and only if, a player needs immediate injury attention

5) Why is "softball, like high school baseball, treats" needed?

Because in both softball and in high school baseball rules, obstruction is always a delayed dead ball. Umpires who work both softball and baseball (especially those who start with baseball) may be more familiar with pro baseball rules, where there are 2 types of obstruction: Type 1, which is obstruction on a runner being played on (in this case, the batter runner was being played on), and results in an IMMEDIATE dead ball, and Type 2, which is on a runner not being played on, and causes a DELAYED dead ball, with the award being made after the play ends. However, softball (similar to high school baseball) treats all obstruction as if it were Type 2 (delayed dead ball). Because the fielder was injured, and further play would jeopardize her safety, I have chosen to stop play immediately, and award the batter-runner 1B (this is the base that the batter would likely have achieved without the obstruction).

1, the OP does not indicate any injuries. 2, if there is an injury, it needs to be one which in the umpire's judgment, needs immediate attention.

Who cares? Not baseball

Again, that is not necessarily the rule in softball.