Talk to me about Obstruction

[SC Ump]

Originally Posted by chibler

Hi Fans...

In spite of your insulting greeting ...

Yes, I did not see the play but from your desciption believe you are right in most codes. (Specifically for NCAA, I do not know the answer to Dakota s question.)

[chibler]

Originally Posted by SC Ump

In spite of your insulting greeting ...

Yes, I did not see the play but from your desciption believe you are right in most codes. (Specifically for NCAA, I do not know the answer to Dakota s question.)

Oops. I guess I kicked that one.
Thanks for the reply. I didn't consider that the NCAA might have a different rulebook. Doh! I should have remembered that. I was assuming ASA rules.

We play by ASA rules. I see players blocking the base without the ball all the time. Obstruction is called so infrequently that I began to question my understanding of the rule.

Similar oddball things happen alot in our league...
Does the pitcher HAVE to throw 4 pitches to issue an intentional pass? Ruling by one blue: No; Actual rule: yes
Can a base coach carry an indicator ("clicker")? Ruling by several blues: No; Actual rule: yes

I'm wierd. I like the ASA rulebook.
--
Chris Hibler

[mcrowder]

I saw this play... Even in ASA, this was not obstruction. The fielder WAS in the basepath without the ball, but the runner did not slow or alter path, and was not impeded by the fielder at all. (Had contact with F5 been made prior to the ball's arrival, we would have OBS in ASA, but not in NCAA).

[chibler]

Thanks mcrowder...that's the way I had it too. It was a great opportunity to illustrate what would be/would not be OBS.
Thanks!

[Mountaineer]

Also remember that NF removed "about to receive the ball" this year - so in HS it probably would have been OBS. Good call in NCAA.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer

..so in HS it probably would have been OBS. ...

Originally Posted by mcrowder

I saw this play... Even in ASA, this was not obstruction. ...

I did not see the play, so I am speaking generally here. In both ASA and NFHS, while the fielder is NOT given any right to impede the runner when about to receive a thrown ball, in both rule sets, actually impeding the runner is required for OBS - not merely blocking the base. mccrowder argues that in this play, the runner was not impeded prior to the fielder having possession of the ball. If that was the case, there would not be OBS under any rule set.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by mcrowder

(Had contact with F5 been made prior to the ball's arrival, we would have OBS in ASA, but not in NCAA).

Disagree. Unless the NCAA has a different definition of "about to receive" than just about everyone else, this would be OBS in NCAA.

"About to receive" is/was defined as a thrown ball that gets between the runner and defender preparing to receive the ball. Since so many people, including some umpires, were confused by this definition by taking it too literally, the definition was reinterpreted for the umpires to mean that the ball had to reach the defender prior to the runner. As you stated above, if the contact had occured prior to the ball's arrival, the "about to receive" caveat to the OBS ruling would not have been met.