Another NFHS Interp.

SITUATION 16: R1 is on second base and B3 is at bat with one out. B3 hits a sharp grounder to F6, who bobbles the ball as B3 rounds first base, is obstructed by F3 and stumbles. Seeing the ball in front of her, R1 freezes at second base. Before B3 can get back to first base, F6 throws the ball to first base to get B3 in a rundown. To complicate things further, during the rundown, B3 is obstructed again. B3 slides into second base and is tagged out on a close play. In (a), R1 advances to third base, and in (b), R1 stays at second base, seeming somewhat confused. RULING: In (a) and (b), the umpire should call obstruction the moment it occurred and signal a delayed dead ball. When B3 was tagged out, the umpire should call time and award B3 second base. In (a), R1’s advancement to third is legal. In (b), the umpire would award B3 second base and R1 third base. (8-4-3 Pen.1)

Why is R1 awarded 3rd? Is it because B3 must be given 2nd?
Does that mean you have to assume that the rundown would not have occurred w/o the OBS and therefore, B3 only tried to advance to 2nd because of the OBS preventing a return to 1st? Or is it because the second OBS impeded B3 from 2nd, which the case does not say?

CecilOne,

Since the OBS runner was put out prior to reaching the base which
would have been reached had there not been OBS. Since the play was
close, then umpire felt she would have achieved 2B. Each of the
other runners affected by the OBS will always be awarded the base
or bases which would have been reached, in the umpires judgement.
They probably felt R1 would have reached third when ball was thrown
to 2B for the tag play. Don't see where the situtation says runner
was OBS going back to 1B, just that during rundown she was OBS again. Regardless,
she could not have been called out between 1st and 2nd.

Knew that part.

That's my confusion, because the case implies she didn't even try.


By "OBS preventing a return to 1st", I meant she was in the rundown because of the original OBS causing her to stumble and not get back to 1st before the initial throw from F6 (Before B3 can get back to first base, F6 throws the ball to first base to get B3 in a rundown).

Or look at it this way:

Since they are awarding B3 2B, R1 would be forced to advance
to 3B.

B3 does not have to be given 2B, but since the play was close
at 2B umpire probably felt she would have made it had it not been
for the OBS.

I cannot think of any reason a preceding runner should be moved forward by award other than being forced to do so by the award to the obstructed runner.

Being "confused" is not cause for being affected by an obstruction call involving another runner.

Actually, I do. ;) It is possible for a trailing runner to be affected by the obstruction of previous runner.

Play: R1 on 1B. B2 drives a ball which rolls to the fence for an obvious extra base hit. R1 collides with F6 at 2B. Umpire makes DDB signal as the batter-runner rounds 1B and stops because he notices R1 laying on the ground near 2B. This "non-obstructed" runner has now been affected by the obstruction. The umpire should award the obstructed runner the base to which he judged the runner would have made had the obstruction not occured AND place the award any other runner the base they would have made had the obstructed runner not been in their way.