Train Wrecks

[WestMichBlue]

"Is there an official correction from NFHS in print available?"

YES. Got to the NFHS Softball Forum http://www.nfhs.org/scriptcontent/va...ubb=forum;f=13

and find "Obstruction 2005 - and the elimination of Wreck."

I have several postings in that thread, a couple of which quote two members of the NFHS Softball Rules committee.

That is the official word of the NFHS for calling obstruction instead of wreck. The case book is wrong because it has not been updated for this interpretation.

WMB

[Dakota]

The following is an email exchange between an umpire (not me) and a former member of the ASA NUS, ASA NIF, ISF, ASA Hall of Fame umpire (who shall remain nameless since I did not personally participate in this exchange, but from the above you can figure it out if you want to).

From Umpire:
I had a play several weekends ago where we had a runner on 3rd and a squeeze bunt. The play goes to first and the catcher straddles home awaiting the throw. The entire front of the plate was available to the runner from 3rd. She did a wrap around slide and tried to get the back of the plate and missed, the catchers foot was there but the back of the plate was still open to her. The catcher catches the ball as she misses the back of the base and then tags her on her way back. I called the out. Should this have been obstruction?

My question is this: Where are the coaches supposed to tell the catcher to stand? Does the offensive coach just coach their kids to slide into the catcher and draw a call?

Former NUS member's reply:
This is the problem we are faced with because for so many years we have allowed the catcher to block the plate. It is not as big an issue at other bases. At other bases you usually have obstruction way before the base or obstruction happens on returning to the base usually on pick offs. Because the catcher has protective equipment and because major league baseball set the precedent years ago, it has been common place to give the catcher way to much leeway. The play you describe is one where you would have to see it, but I think it might obstruction. Rarely, if ever, do you see a catcher straddle home plate. Straddle means they are on top of the plate with their feet on each side. They are almost always in front of the plate. A guide that seems to help is, if the catcher was not in the way (without the ball) could the runner have scored either with a straight in slide or running straight through the base. Those are the two options the runner should be given if the catcher does not have the ball. The technique that should be taught for catchers is to be in front of the plate, toward the pitchers mound not third base, with their left foot on the front corner of the plate on the third base foul line. If you have no ball you pull your left foot off the plate. If you have the ball you swipe the glove and ball to the front of your left foot. That is how I was taught as a young player and how I taught my players 30 years ago and today. Offensive coaches need to teach their kids the same as the Defensive coaches. The runner has the right of way unless the defense has the ball. You should be able to slide straight in if you can beat the throw or hook or slide away to avoid a tag, but because of us, the umpire, we have made runners all slide as if they are avoiding the tag. We made this mess, now it is time for us to clean it up.