Help on Mechanics for Obstruction

Bagman62

Situations.
ASA 18 U. R1 on 3B,Passed ball, Catcher moves to backstop to retrieve ball, Pitcher move to cover plate and R1 runs to Plate. Pitcher arrives and blocks plate with her leg prior to catcher picking up ball. R1 about 15 feet away from the plate

Catcher throws ball to pitcher, R1 slides around Pitcher as tag is applied foot hits the plate.

QUESTION, When do you signal Obstruction as the sequence is: Block, Catch & Tag... ASA rule for 2004 Says Catch, Block & Tag. Question #2 do you call Obstruction on this play?

Thanks for the information & assistance.

whiskers_ump

Q1 - Whenever the OBS occurs.

Q2 - Not if the fielder has the ball, then blocks the base/
plate.

Steve M

Call the obstruction when you see it, every time. If anything strange happens then, you've already called obstruction.

Q2 - Yes, based on your description, I'll call obstruction. But, HTBT - to be absolutely sure.

Bagman62

Glen,

Pitcher had plate blocked prior to receiving the ball but had the ball prior to runner arriving. Can we signal obstruction and at the last second or few seconds remove the obstruction? Or is the runner protected and returned to the previous base if in you judgement would have been out had the obstruction not occured?

3afan

OK, same situation .... but right before pitcher catches the ball she takes a step away and 'unblocks' the plate. so she is no longer obstructing the BR. if you've already called & signaled OBS then can you say "never mind"?

whiskers_ump

Pitcher had plate blocked prior to receiving the ball but had the ball prior to runner arriving. Can we signal obstruction and at the last second or few seconds remove the obstruction?
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The OBS call is not removed, it is just that if necessary,
apply the penalty, and if runner is advanced where you think
she would have been at the end of the play. If not, when
play is killed, put her where you think she should be.
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Or is the runner protected and returned to the previous base if in you judgement would have been out had the obstruction not occured?
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Yes, Runner is protected as soon as you call the OBS, unless the runner, a) missed a base, b) left a base before fly ball was first touched, c) interferenced, or d) passed
another runner. (a & b are appeals).

glen

whiskers_ump

Originally posted by 3afan
OK, same situation .... but right before pitcher catches the ball she takes a step away and 'unblocks' the plate. so she is no longer obstructing the BR. if you've already called & signaled OBS then can you say "never mind"?

3afan,

In a sense, you are saying "never mind", but by your originial
actions you have alerted everyone that you saw OBS, signaled
OBS. That is why it is a DDB call. Allow the play to finish,
then if award(s) necessary, make them.

Dakota

Obstruction occurs when a player without the ball impedes the progress of a runner legally running the bases.

If the player in your "last second" scenario (whether getting out of the way at the last second or catching the ball at the last second) has already impeded the progress of the runner, she has already committed obstruction and nothing she does can undo that - that is, there is no "nevermind". OBS happened when the runner slowed down to avoid a collision, when the runner swerved to avoid the collision, etc. Contact is not necessary, and the ball arriving at the last second, or the player getting out of the way at the last second does not cause what she already did (OBS) to disappear as if it never happened.

TexBlue

Originally posted by 3afan
OK, same situation .... but right before pitcher catches the ball she takes a step away and 'unblocks' the plate. so she is no longer obstructing the BR. if you've already called & signaled OBS then can you say "never mind"?

It sounds like you might have jumped the gun on the OBS call. You have to wait until it happens, not in anticipation of it. Otherwise, you have a conversation coming, with a coach. Never anticipate anything on the field. It'll come back and bite you every time.