Mechanics Question
 

Had an association meeting lastnight for FED ball. Mechanics question was brought up and there were two answers, mine and everyone elses. I wanted to see who was right.

Question was about OBS call, there is OBS between R1 on 2nd and SS when girl is going to 3rd, player is tagged out prior to reaching 3rd base. Question is do you:

a) Call the runner out, then signal dead ball and award the runner 3rd base due to the OBS.

b) Call Dead ball, there was OBS runner is awarded 3rd base.

Awaiting your votes!

Call/signal dead ball, announce the obstruction, then award the base you felt the runner would have reached had the obstruction not occurred.

I'm with Scott... b).

Yup, me too - I'm with Scott & Tom.

I agree - b is the answer.

That makes six of six. Being right contributes to unanimity. :cool:

I would say the proper mechanics is "A"..Call the runner out, folllowed by dead ball, runner safe on obstruction.

All that guidance from those great minds, and you still wanna call her out? By definition, she cant be out.... so save time...dead ball obstruction..award the base

Well there it is. I agree b is my answer, but EVERY other official agreed that A was the correct answer. They said "you have to call the play" then award the base. I disagree. To me once they are put out then I kill the play and award the base. Everyone should know they were out, or else I wouldn't have invoked the OBS call!!!

Why confuse the spectators (who largely have a hard time with the concept of obstruction in the first place, including the coaches :cool: ) by audibly calling the runner out, then proceeding to put her on a base?

As DaveASA/FED said "Everyone should know they were out, or else I wouldn't have invoked the OBS call!"

Well...you should tell them that they need to go and read the umpire's manual then. Assuming NFHS, the 2006/2007 Umpire's Manual states:

"All obstruction calls require a delayed dead ball signal. This allows all runners the ability to advance, whether they are played on or not. The umpire will protect the runner only to the base they feel the obstructed batter-runner or runner would have made had there not been obstruction. If the runner is put out prior to this base, a dead ball is called and award base(s)."

So, the prescribed mechanic, by this reading, is to immediately call a dead ball and place the runner on the base you feel that she would have reached. Note that it doesn't say, "If the runner is put out prior to this base, call the out, then call time/dead ball, and award base(s)."

You are exactly right, which is why the prescribed mechanic is as I posted above.

Dead ball ONLY if you were the umpire which ruled OBS.

We cannot expect our partner(s) to know what is in our mind. However, if you ruled the OBS on a player which is your responsibility, simply kill the play, announce the OBS and applicable award.

You beat me to it.
This is what happens when you get slowed down by reading the stupid threads and miss the real good stuff.

Ditto. The apparent out includes both a play the OBS umpire has and a runner called out by another umpire.

Ok another assoc. meeting and again discussion of this darn mechanic. Even after showing the book reference both umpire manual and finding it in the rule book to kill the play once the obstructed runner is called out. Some still said they would not kill the play but call the runner out then after all other action award the runner whatever base they should have. They were worried about other runners still advancing and the defenses chances to get an out on that play so that is why they would not kill the play.

My thought, after reading the rules, is kill the play and award the runners whatever bases they would have gotten if no OBS occurred. The defense screwed up and broke a rule so they lose their chance to get any outs on that play...as much as I love outs they blew it on that play.

You all still agree with me?

Well, those "some" are just going to get it wrong now, aren't they? And that is going to cause problems and confusion for those of us who do it correctly.

Dave,
I'm sure that all here will still agree.
It sounds like "some" of your local umps want to make up their own rules and mechanics. The defense has given up their chances to get an out on some other runner - when they made the "out" on the obstructed runner who has not yet obtained the base they would have gotten had there been no obstruction. As for the other advancing runners - if they are more than halfway, move them up.

Hopefully, you will not be on the field with any of these idiots when they insist on handling such a play like this in the 2nd inning of a 2 1/2 hour game that gets protested and you have to do it all over again :eek: