Automatic Obstruction?

[blueskysblue]

A couple of years ago, LL seemed to instruct umpires that a catcher in the baseline between third and home was by definition obstruction. During a state tournament, those of us that routinely didn't do much LL, had a real hard time with that interpretation. (You know in some areas LL recruits umpires that normally do 90 ft. baseball when it comes tournament time) During actual play, it was difficult to convince the offensive coach that there needed to be an "effect" on the runner, rather than the catcher just being in the baseline. These situations also included pitchers in the third - home baseline while the catcher was somewhere near the backstop trying to chase down a wild pitch or errant throw from the field. Compounding the problem, of course, was the fact that some umpires were making the call exactly as they had been instructed while others applied a more common sense approach. For example, a baserunner who rounds third and stops 4 -5 feet down the baseline being obstructed by the catcher being in the baseline without the ball 3-4 feet toward third from home plate. I didn't and won't call that obstruction, but others did, and many coaches wanted it called.

So, sometimes it comes down to what a tournament director tells you; what your UIC tells you; what is "common practice" in the area where you call; the level of play you are officiating; interpretation of what you read in the rule book as well as the interpretation made by the group leader, rules interpreter, etc.