Grrrr....obstruction?

[dtref]

I thought I was pretty solid after being on this board and trying to learn, but...

Sitch: 1st inning, I'm base ump. R1 comes into home, slides into the catcher who had blocked the plate while receiving a throw. He rings the runner up, and both the head and the ***'t coach are down arguing with him. I was sure that the runner got there before the catcher had the ball. He later tells me that as long as a player is 'about to receive' a throw that they can block the plate. If they can't and this was obstruction why does 8-4-3b include the phrase '...or not about to receive a thrown ball,...'

I have read again the definition and the case book and am once again convinced but I need some fuel to go back to my partner with.

In another sitch, next game when I'm plate ump, similar play, same teams. Only this time, the ball got to the catcher before the runner, so by the time there was obstruction the catcher had the ball. The coach comes to me and I told her 'I agree she can't block the plate without the ball, but in my judgement the ball got there before she did so that play was legal', she said 'ok, thanks', fans were getting very unruly and on the next play when the catcher threw back to third and hit the runner in the back, runner in the baseline, I had administration escort one gentlemen out of the stadium. In my opinion, if the first obstruction had been called, the ensuing crud would have been much better to deal with.