Stubborn Partner – what can you do?

[SC Ump]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

If you see the OBS, and I don't care who was responsible for the runner at that point, you call it.

So, if BU is right on the play, sees the runner round first perfectly, sees the "incident" and judges it to definitely be no obstruction other umpire can overrule that BU from perhaps 60 to 80 feet away?

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by SC Ump

So, if BU is right on the play, sees the runner round first perfectly, sees the "incident" and judges it to definitely be no obstruction other umpire can overrule that BU from perhaps 60 to 80 feet away?

An umpire who sees obstruction and calls it is not overruling anyone.

[SC Ump]

Originally Posted by Dakota

An umpire who sees obstruction and calls it is not overruling anyone.

Sorry I dangled a prepositional phrase, chose an unclear word and perhaps confused some. Let me rephrase:

So, if a BU is right on the play, sees the runner round first perfectly, sees the "incident" and judges it to definitely not be obstruction, the opinion of a PU from perhaps 60 to 80 feet away who happens to think it is obstruction, would trump that "no obstruction" judgment made by the BU in position to judge the situation from a closer perspective?

[Steve M]

I think I'll just quote Tom
"An umpire who sees obstruction and calls it is not overruling anyone."

Am I going to know where my partner is? yup. Am I going to consider that? yup. If I clearly see obstruction, am I going to call it - regardless of where my partner is or anything else? yup.

[Bluefoot]

I had a situation this weekend, NFHS scrimmage, when as BU, I had an OBS call, while my partner did not could not see me with my arm out - his back was to me. We discussed it afterward, and I learned that in that situation, when I know that partner can not see me give the OBS DDB signal, that I should vocalize the OBS call for him to hear. In the case posed for this thread, should the PU have vocalized OBS? Is vocalizing an OBS call written anywhere as a correct procedure for either ASA or NFHS umpires?

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by beave

first of all if you felt there was obstruction you should have had the delay dead signal on for your partner to see since you state there was a colision of some type you must have seen something. if your partner did not see the signal then and only then should you offer your opinion. unless you are asked by your partner for an opinion and then its still his call as to what to do with runner.

The signal isn't for your partner, it's for the participants. I wouldn't expect my partner to see my signal as s/he has a few other things on his plate at that time.

The umpire making the call MUST be the one to enforce it because if your partner didn't call the OBS, how would s/he know to which base the runner is protected?