Your Call - Simple Actually

[Dakota]

Originally posted by whiskers_ump
...First batter for visitors hits a ball that
deflects off F6's glove and goes towards the line in left field. F7 recovers ball. Meantime BR is clearly obstructed rounding 1B by F3 who is standing way too close to 1B watching F7 go get the ball. BR hits F3, spins, starts towards 2B, hesitates, Coach sees Blues OBS call, and
tells BR to go on to 2B. She starts in a trot, then a simi walk towards 2B. F7's initial throw is misplayed by F6, retrived, and upon seeing BR advancing goes over and tags her about 4 feet from 2B....

I did not believe she would have achieved 2B.

Interesting responses to this play. You were there, so who's to argue with your judgment? A couple of things I'd like to comment on, though.

On obstruction, the judgment of where to protect the runner to is a continuing judgment. There is the "at the time" judgment, but that judgment is adjusted as the play proceeds. I will use a "how much was the runner delayed" guide for later in the play close plays (or not so close plays).

The rule says the umpire is to place runners (or not) so as to negate the effect of the OBS.

If there had been no OBS, would the runner have tried for second? (If, no - argues for returning her to 1st). Note that just because she did NOT try for 2nd until after the coach told her to does not mean she would not have tried had she not run into F3.

If yes, given the way the play proceeded would she have made it? (The poor toss to F6 argues for YES - meaning, place the runner at 2nd).

I wonder how much we should consider the runners lazy advance, since that was clearly a result of the obstruction, and would not have happened had there been no obstruction (the situation we are supposed to re-create).

Just things to consider. From your description, I have no issue with returning her to 1st.