Hi everyone,

I had a situation come up in one of the games I was coaching that I really have no idea how it should be handled. Our team was down by 1 run in the last inning with 2 outs and a runner on second. A ball was hit to the OF and it looked like she was going to score although it was a relatively close play. At any rate, the home plate umpire for some reason stepped on the line and obstructed the runner...in addition the catcher then missed the throw and the ball went back to the screen.

What's the appropriate call?? His call was to stop the play and send the runner back to third. To penalize one team over the other seems unfair?? I guess it's interesting because the home plate umpire's wife was the coach of the fielding team.

The umpire should have let the play continue. Regardless of how careless he was about where he was standing, there is no "umpire obstruction."

Even if the runner was going to score easily, if she tripped over the umpire and was tagged out, she's out.

So if you ever umpire, stay out of the way of the runners, because you can't cite yourself for a violation and correct the situation.

Greymule is absolutely correct on this one!

Had a slow pitch game a few years ago working 1-man... let myself be in a bad position for a possible play at 3B on a batter-runner (I was in foul territory about 20-25 feet looking thru from the bag) when ball was overthrown and the runner just never slowed down.. rounded 3B and WHAM right into yours truly. Now I am a big guy.. 6 ft 4 in 210lbs and was a good 50 lbs heavier back then... but this young buck was a big brusier too and running full steam. Needless to say I landed up on my butt a good six to ten feet away. The runner stopped and was hovering over me saying "Are you OK Blue?" in a worried tone. I told him to go touch home plate fast! I did not relish having to call this guy out after I "obstructed" him.. especially as he seemed genuinly concerned about me. Luckily, the defense was as stunned as the runner.. they had quit playing althogher and the runner trotted over and touched home plate and I called in a lound triumpant whisper "Time"; that being all the breath I had at the moment.

How can you send the runner back to 3rd if the runner was able to get to the plate safely on the over throw?

How can you have a game where "the home plate umpire's wife was the coach "?

Bad enough if the umpire's husband was the coach! :D

Very similar occurrence at a league semi-final I watched on Saturday.

Runner on 2nd and batter hits to right field.

Plate ump forgets there's a girl on 2nd, and he trails the batter-runner a few steps towards 1st.

F9 throws to F3 --- "OUT !!!" he proudly exclaims.

By now, the forgotten runner is rounding 3rd.

So, the ump is backing up, looking at his indicator and clicking in the out at 1st, completely oblivious to the fact there's a running how heading for home.

We all see what's coming.

F3 throws to F2 and by now the ump has backed himself right on the path of the girl trying to reach home. She slows up, bumps into him, he looks up in complete shock and dismay (... like, "yikes, this is bad, where in the world did she come from ???).

She tries to run around him to the backstop side and, of course, he moves the same direction to try to get out of the way .... they are basically stuck together.

The catcher runs up and tags her.

"OUT".

A couple of us tried to console him after the game. He was really sick about it.