Pickoff Play (softball)

[Steve M]

If I am picturing this play correctly, as the BU I have a dead ball and obstruction. I picture that this is a called pick-off play and F3 is blocking the base at the time of the throw. R1 hits F3's foot going back to the base, F3 catches the throw from F2 and applies the tag. Granted that this play takes less time than it did for me to describe it as I have it pictured, but was the fielder "about to receive"?
To the best of my knowledge, and I have looked and asked others, Fed does not define what this phrase means. Fed leaves this determination entirely up to the ump. Dunno 'bout everyone else, but I need some sort of standard to base a judgement on. ASA does define this phrase as the ball being closer to the fielder than the runner is. This is the standard that I use for obstruction on a pickoff play. Another good standard is to answer the question 'Did the fielder have to be exactly where he was in order to make this catch & play?'
As I have this play pictured AND going by both of these standards, that's obstruction. Award R1 first base.
I also see this call as entirely the responsibility of the BU. While PU should always be ready to help, there should not generally be any help needed on a picoff play like this as there is no screened tag and everything is right in front of the BU.
On another note, BU is not appealing to PU. BU should be asking a very specific question of PU that can be answered with either YES or NO. BU would be asking for clarification, not appealing.