Another Obstruction play...

[Andy]

No runners, B1 hits a single into left field.

F3 standing on insde corner of first base watching F7 field the ball. BR has to take a wide turn around first to avoid F3. My left arm goes out for OBS. BR rounds first and stops to find the ball. Third base coach, noticing that I have my arm out for OBS, yells at BR to go to second. BR takes off for second, and is tagged sliding into the base. I call "DEAD BALL", announce the obstruction, and send the runner back to first base.

I know that this is a judgement call and a HTBT, but I would like any comments.

I also got no questions regarding this call....I'm not sure anybody but my partner (and that is questionable) knew what I called.

[dweezil24]

Originally Posted by Andy

No runners, B1 hits a single into left field.


F3 standing on insde corner of first base watching F7 field the ball. BR has to take a wide turn around first to avoid F3. My left arm goes out for OBS. BR rounds first and stops to find the ball. Third base coach, noticing that I have my arm out for OBS, yells at BR to go to second. BR takes off for second, and is tagged sliding into the base. I call "DEAD BALL", announce the obstruction, and send the runner back to first base.

I know that this is a judgement call and a HTBT, but I would like any comments.

I also got no questions regarding this call....I'm not sure anybody but my partner (and that is questionable) knew what I called.

Technically, the BR is only protected to the base to which they would have gotten had there been no OBS, which would be first. BUT, looks like the DDB signal has put the runner in jeopardy, so I may have done the same thing. Like you said, HTBT.

For some reason, many F3s in the SP league I ump for feel like they need to be standing on 1B on a hit to the OF, not sure what they're thinking...

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by dweezil24

Technically, the BR is only protected to the base to which they would have gotten had there been no OBS, which would be first. BUT, looks like the DDB signal has put the runner in jeopardy, so I may have done the same thing. Like you said, HTBT.

For some reason, many F3s in the SP league I ump for feel like they need to be standing on 1B on a hit to the OF, not sure what they're thinking...

No, dweezil. She's also protected between the bases where the obstruction occurred. If the fielder was directly on the base, then you generally give the runner the benefit of being protected between that base and the next one (between 1st and 2nd in this case). However, that doesn't mean the AWARD is necessarily 2nd base. I think that in the OP, since the runner was not just running to 2nd, and only ran after the OBS signal was seen, I would award 1st base. Sounds like the OP made the correct ruling on the field.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by Andy

No runners, B1 hits a single into left field.

F3 standing on insde corner of first base watching F7 field the ball. BR has to take a wide turn around first to avoid F3. My left arm goes out for OBS. BR rounds first and stops to find the ball. Third base coach, noticing that I have my arm out for OBS, yells at BR to go to second. BR takes off for second, and is tagged sliding into the base. I call "DEAD BALL", announce the obstruction, and send the runner back to first base.

I know that this is a judgement call and a HTBT, but I would like any comments.

I also got no questions regarding this call....I'm not sure anybody but my partner (and that is questionable) knew what I called.

Was your arm still out after the runner rounded and stopped?

[CecilOne]

I can't tell from the OP "F3 standing on insde corner of first base watching F7 field the ball. BR has to take a wide turn around first to avoid F3. My left arm goes out for OBS. BR rounds first and stops to find the ball" whether the BR is impeded before or after reaching 1st.
If after, let's talk.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

I can't tell from the OP "F3 standing on insde corner of first base watching F7 field the ball. BR has to take a wide turn around first to avoid F3. My left arm goes out for OBS. BR rounds first and stops to find the ball" whether the BR is impeded before or after reaching 1st.
If after, let's talk.

HTBT, but just as much of that "wide turn" probably came after touching the base than before, so, in my judgment, part of the act of OBS came between 1B & 2B.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

HTBT, but just as much of that "wide turn" probably came after touching the base than before, so, in my judgment, part of the act of OBS came between 1B & 2B.

That's why I asked.

[Andy]

Mike and mcrowder have pretty much captured my thinking process.

Obstuction has been a personal POE for me for the last year or so. I felt like I was missing too many calls and not ruling properly on the ones I did call. This call in particular, at first base on a hit, has been part of my focus.

This was a B level tournament, so it is entirely possible that the player had not been coached properly to get away from the bag on a hit, then come in behind the runner for a possible throw.

In most cases on this call, nothing is going to happen, and few will even notice the arm out for OBS. On this particular play, somebody noticed and it resulted in a play I had to make a ruling on. I'm comfortable with my ruling on the field.

I posted here to bring attention to this type of OBS, because I notice a lot of umpires on a base hit are lazy about getting into the infield and making the pivot to watch the BR touch first and pick up this particular type of OBS.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

HTBT, but just as much of that "wide turn" probably came after touching the base than before, so, in my judgment, part of the act of OBS came between 1B & 2B.

I agree, but the reason for my question (about the arm being still out after rounding 1B) was that the arm was now signalling to the coach that the runner was still protected. Hence, the correct call was made (protecting the runner).

I know that the arm being dropped does NOT mean the protection is dropped, but if the arm is still out, it means protection is still in force.

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by Dakota

I agree, but the reason for my question (about the arm being still out after rounding 1B) was that the arm was now signalling to the coach that the runner was still protected. Hence, the correct call was made (protecting the runner).

I know that the arm being dropped does NOT mean the protection is dropped, but if the arm is still out, it means protection is still in force.

No - the arm has nothing to do with whether protection is on or off. You leave the DDB signal up long enough for everyone (who's looking) has time to see it, and then you drop it. Dropping it has nothing to do with any of your decisions regarding protection. The arm signal merely means that you have a delayed dead ball (it is, after all, the DDB signal, not the OBS signal). It is conceivable that you could have your arm still out on a play briefly after the runner has outrun her protection - so saying "if the arm is still out it means protection is still in force" is just not correct.

Heck - under your logic, if you were protecting to home plate on an apparent ITPHR, you'd have to leave your arm up while the runner slogs around from 1st to home.

[tcblue13]

Originally Posted by Dakota

I know that the arm being dropped does NOT mean the protection is dropped, but if the arm is still out, it means protection is still in force.

I thought the arm was just the DDB signal telling everyone that play will be killed as soon as playing action stops. It has nothing to do with the actual obstruction call. A release IP gets the arm as well doesn't it??