OBSTRUCTION

[greymule]

Rubbish! ASA's (and most of the other softball org) obstruction rule is just fine and relatively simple to understand.

Just fine?

It's so fine they adjust the rule and/or change the wording every couple of years.

Relatively simple to understand? Relative to what?

"About to receive" meant "ball is between runner and fielder." "Crash" means anything from a bump to an outright flattening, depending on who's umpiring. So simple that a good percentage of these posts involve whether or not OBS should be called in various situations.

So simple that when you pose situations to guys who've umpired ASA for 30 years, they often admit they aren't sure.

It's fine for those of us exalted enough to mind-read what ASA's cryptic rule book means or to pronounce as "rubbish" a mere opinion offered by an experienced umpire. Maybe it's not fine for the rest of us.