Obstruction or not?

[IamMatt]

14U batter hits grounder to F5. Right-handed F3 has her foot planted on the white portion of 1B and her glove out waiting for the throw. F5's throw is off a few degrees to her right (or clockwise) so that rather than going straight to F3's glove, the ball will intersect the baseline a foot or two towards home plate.

This causes F3 to turn or pivot and reach across the lane in front of the orange portion of 1B to make the catch just as BR is arriving at the base, so that F3 is blocking both sides of the base before receiving the ball and her momentum is also causing her to step with her not-planted foot across the baseline, leaving a footprint about a half-foot into foul territory and about a foot in front of 1B.

In order to avoid a collision, BR puts the brakes on, which slows her enough so that the ball gets to F3 before BR hits 1B.

Out at first? Obstruction? Any questions need to be answered to make the call?

What it BR had not slowed down and had collided with F3 just before the catch?

Thanks.

[azbigdawg]

Obstruction. Her actions when she did not have the ball affected the runner.

If the runner kept running and collided with her when she did not have the ball.... Obstruction.

[Steve M]

Matt,
Yup, that's obstruction - like Darrell said. No ball, in the runner's chosen path, runner affected - obstruction.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by IamMatt

14U batter hits grounder to F5. Right-handed F3 has her foot planted on the white portion of 1B and her glove out waiting for the throw.

Dumb fielder needs to learn how to play her position

F5's throw is off a few degrees to her right (or clockwise) so that rather than going straight to F3's glove, the ball will intersect the baseline a foot or two towards home plate.

This causes F3 to turn or pivot and reach across the lane in front of the orange portion of 1B to make the catch just as BR is arriving at the base, so that F3 is blocking both sides of the base before receiving the ball and her momentum is also causing her to step with her not-planted foot across the baseline, leaving a footprint about a half-foot into foul territory and about a foot in front of 1B.

To this point, it is nothing.

In order to avoid a collision, BR puts the brakes on, which slows her enough so that the ball gets to F3 before BR hits 1B.

Sounds like OBS.

What it BR had not slowed down and had collided with F3 just before the catch?

OBS assuming BR did not reach 1B at approximately the same time. BEFORE everyone goes off, I would not signal OBS at this point because it may be an indication to the coach the now-runner is protected to 2B. Yes, I know that isn't the umpire's problem, but it's a small measure of preventive umpiring that will save me a headache while not causing any influence on the game.

[3afan]

Originally Posted by azbigdawg

Obstruction. Her actions when she did not have the ball affected the runner.

If the runner kept running and collided with her when she did not have the ball.... Obstruction.

agree ......

[IamMatt]

Thank you for the replies. What would you advise a coach to do/say if the BU calls the girl out? I will emphasize that it was not a bang-bang play where there could be a difference of opinion regarding the timing of the BR and the ball arriving at 1B, the BR slowed down way before the ball got there because the F3 was stretched across the entire base.

[NCASAUmp]

Well, I'd say that the coach can only say/ask so much, as whether or not something was obstruction is still a judgment call. The coach could say something like, "blue, I think there may have been obstruction on that play. Could you ask your partner?"

If the BU has his Smart Cap on, he'd confer with the PU. Doesn't mean he'll change his call, but at least the fact that the two umps talked it over shows that the BU wanted to get the call right.

Let's face it: we don't always have the angles, no matter how hard we try. It's never a bad idea to confer with your partner if it's a matter of angle.

[JefferMC]

Dang, Matt, were you at my daughter's game Saturday?

The exact thing happened to her running to first, except that she didn't slow down a whole lot, and tried to step around the first baseman while remaining in the lane. She brushed by the (ball-containing) glove before stepping on 1B. The BU didn't see the tag (or apparently care about the obstruction, making no DDB sign or saying "obstruction"), calling her "safe" at first.

The opposing coach asked the BU to go for help. He tried to give it to the plate ump by pointing. The PU would (rightfully) have none of that, he walked up and they had a conference near first base. At the end of the conference the BU impatiently waited for the PU to return to the plate and turn around (I say impatiently because he started to make the out hammer about 3 or 4 times before the PU got there) then pointed at the PU, made the hammer and called out. That, I thought, was strange behavior.

Our 1B coach didn't go for an obtruction call, though for the life of me, I don't know why not. (Actually, he probably just doesn't understand obstruction...)

[IamMatt]

Well, Jeffer, if it was your daughter, then MY WIFE has some splainin' to do!!

My DD was the BR, I was coaching 1B, and there was nobody on base so the BU was right there. I do not want this to turn into an ump-bashing thread. I think the guys who take the time to participate on thid forum are by definition the "top tier" who are most concerned with improving the quality of officiating.

I also know that they recognize that just like every other profession or avocation, there is a "bottom tier;" some of these guys have even posted stories about having to work with them.

Sadly, this is one of those games we just have to shake off, kinda like you know somedays it is going to rain.

I just wanted to be sure I was not missing something about the rules relating to the call. The BU acknowledged that the F3's actions obstructed the BR's progress, but said that he did not call OBS because the BR did not collide with F3.