I've been doing a local 11-12 tourney the last few days and was reminded of this. On most balls hit to center or left, F3 runs over and sets up with one foot on first even though there is no play comming her way. Runner is denied inside portion of white bag when rounding 1st and possibly going to 2nd. Anytime I see runner slow or hesitate I throw out the left arm and wait to see what develops ( so far nothing has developed: runner either gets to 2nd easily or hasn't tried but in my judgement never would have made it anyway).

My observation is that I'm also seeing many runners not even attempting to take the inside corner of the white but hitting all orange and swinging wide on their rounding of 1st, essentially taking for granted that F3 can set up on white with no chance at a play. Question: does there need to be some hesitation/contact by the runner to lead to obstruction or can the mere presence of the fielder be enough even if the runner is avoiding her?

I've been calling OBS on that play this year. If I think the runner would normally have rounded the bag but had to go around F3, I call it, whether I saw the runner react to F3 or not. I've had no arguments, either.

That doesn't mean I always award 2B. If the runner clearly wasn't making a true attempt, I still call it and warn F3.

If by standing there without the ball they make the runner run around them it is obstruction. No contact is necessary. In essence they have impeded the progress of the runner by making them run a longer distance to get where they are going or would like to go, as in cutting the inside corner instead they have to run around the defensive player.

I used to coach, and always taught F3 to go to 1B on all hit balls. If there is not a play, take a step inside, away from runner rounding base.

Now, some coaches teach their runners to throw out the arm and make contact with F3 (who by now is 2-3 feet off the base) in order to get obstruction called.

Personally, I don't call this, but some do. In your opinions, is this obstruction? Contact = obstruction according to many coaches!

Why bother? Even if it is obstruction, you're not gonna award second - the runner only gets the bases she would have reached in the umpire's judgment had there been no obstruction. It seems hard to claim she would have made second had she not stuck out her arm and whacked the fielder.

Actually, an intentional and unnecessary contact seems close to a malicious contact to me. I think I'd be inclined to warn and then call it interference on the runner if it continued. Let 'em scream - they've been warned.

So if bases are empty and girl hits a gap shot which is clerly extra bases and makes contact with first while rounding bag and first is giving her the inside, the batter is out?

Why would the batter be out?

If she intentionally "hunts and contacts" I might have
USC.

Her making the contact on a gapper would only hinder her
progress, not keep F3 from making a play.

Now, if I felt F3 caused the contact or impedement, then OBS.

I was referring to interference on the batter after they have been warned. Under malicious contact.

I ALWAYS call this OBS when the 1st baseman goes to 1st and stands on the inside corner. I'm not sure, depending on the situation, if I award 2nd, but she's sure not gonna be out between those 2 bases. Like stated above, never had a complaint about this yet.

Now, watch. It'll happen Monday.

[Edited by TexBlue on Jun 27th, 2004 at 12:22 PM]

If you've got an intentional and gratuitous contact. I think you've got to call something - either interference or USC.

Otherwise, things can get out of hand. The F3 is only gonna get whacked so many times before she or her team mates start thinking about retaliating.

But, a runner would be pretty stupid to whack the F3 in passing when she's a legitimate shot at 2nd on her hit.

Must have made this call more than a dozen times in a single 12U States game this past Saturday.

Someone asked "Why bother" if you know you aren't going to award 2nd.

You bother because even if you are not going to award the base, the runner CANNOT be tagged out between 1st and 2nd now, regardless of whatelse happens. You'd find your defense of that position rather difficult if you hadn't ruled the obstruction immediately.

For instance, ball hit to left, runner is obstructed rounding the base, takes 3 more steps, and FALLS when deciding to return to first. She's then nailed on a great throw to first. How are you going to (correctly) call her safe if you didn't have your arm out for obstruction?

Also, the PU should be watching for this when possible.

At a tourney this weekend, some parents (of the local team naturally), were complaining about fielders blocking bases without the ball. Because they went to the TD (coaching elsewhere) and UIC, they never learned:
- the runners were not impeded;
- one runner misjudged and slowed down for a fielder standing past 3rd on the foul and outfield side;
- about to receive is still the rule in PONY.

Which team do you think lost?
Which team had 2 runners picked off at 2nd for third outs?

I always call it. At that age group I also point it out to the coach that we have a potential broken ankle in the works. If it continues I give the warning that I will remove the player, USC. At the adult level I just give the 1st baseman a reminder of what a broken ankle looks like.