Detecting OBS on steal attempts

[Paul L]

I'm the only ump and behind the plate. Runner at first attempts a steal of second. Catcher throws to fielder waiting on the first base side of second. Ball arrives ahead of runner, is caught, and fielder tags runner. It's an out, unless it's obstruction.

What should I be watching for? How can I tell from just in front of the plate whether the fielder is blocking the basepath. How can I tell if the runner was impeded when there is no contact before the ball arrives?

[Skahtboi]

Did the runner do anything to make you feel that she was impeded? (i.e. deviate in her running path, slow down, start an earlier than usual slide)

If not, then I would say that you have an out. Remember, OBS is two fold. It requires a) the defender, without possession of the ball, to be in the path of the runner and, b) that "blocking action" has to cause the runner to deviate, in some way, from their usual running path.

[Dakota]

How can I tell from just in front of the plate whether the fielder is blocking the basepath.

That is not where you should be. You should be moving up the base line and out into the infield for a better view.

Remember, angle is more important than distance, and right in front of the plate is a rotten angle.

[WestMichBlue]

You should be moving up the base line and out into the infield for a better view

Hey superman, how you gonna do that?

You are in the slot; your nose following that pitch all the way into the catcher's glove. In a blink of the eye the catcher has bounced up and fired a bullet to 2B. The ball reaches 2B in one second. (Being a good engineer, you know that catcher is about 88' from 2B and a ball at 60mph is traveling at 88 ft/sec.)

You leave the slot and go around the batter and now you have used up half of your one second and you are 6' into foul territority. And you are going to get how far into the infield?

WMB

[whiskers_ump]

Originally Posted by Skahtboi

Did the runner do anything to make you feel that she was impeded? (i.e. deviate in her running path, slow down, start an earlier than usual slide)

If not, then I would say that you have an out. Remember, OBS is two fold. It requires a) the defender, without possession of the ball, to be in the path of the runner and, b) that "blocking action" has to cause the runner to deviate, in some way, from their usual running path.

Scott has supplied excellent advise, especially from the angle you will be in when you have to make this call as a single umpire. You will probably be at least 70' from the action. Watch for reaction from the runner.

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by WestMichBlue

You should be moving up the base line and out into the infield for a better view

Hey superman, how you gonna do that?

You are in the slot; your nose following that pitch all the way into the catcher's glove. In a blink of the eye the catcher has bounced up and fired a bullet to 2B. The ball reaches 2B in one second. (Being a good engineer, you know that catcher is about 88' from 2B and a ball at 60mph is traveling at 88 ft/sec.)

You leave the slot and go around the batter and now you have used up half of your one second and you are 6' into foul territority. And you are going to get how far into the infield?

WMB

If this 1-umpire game is an NCAA game, then yeah, you're right.
If this 1-umpire game is 12U, you have time to get some angle, and a little distance, to be able to call this play.
But I have not had the experience of very many high-level 1-umpire games - hopefully the two are mutually exclusive.

If you're stuck in a game with a catcher with a rocket arm (whatever age), and working alone, the best you can do is 1 or 2 steps to the side to get some angle on the play.

All that said... your 1st response was best. If the runner didn't slow or deviate (and they usually don't on a steal), and was not contacted before the ball got there, you have no OBS. If the runner DID deviate, then just look at the fielder's feet to see where she is. Not the best way to call it, but from 85 feet, what are you gonna do?

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by WestMichBlue

You should be moving up the base line and out into the infield for a better view

Hey superman, how you gonna do that?

You are in the slot; your nose following that pitch all the way into the catcher's glove. In a blink of the eye the catcher has bounced up and fired a bullet to 2B. The ball reaches 2B in one second. (Being a good engineer, you know that catcher is about 88' from 2B and a ball at 60mph is traveling at 88 ft/sec.)

You leave the slot and go around the batter and now you have used up half of your one second and you are 6' into foul territority. And you are going to get how far into the infield?

WMB

I do it all the time. As mccrowder points out, the 1 umpire game does not have the catcher that can pop up firing (usually).