Is Obstruction Mental?

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by reccer

The simple part is understanding the intent of the defensive player setting up astride the base line 2 feet in front of the base.

We should not be even thinking about the intent of the defensive player - only her location.

The difficult part is judging whether a runner traveling at 2.5 feet per tenth of a second is reacting to the defensive player.

Agreed. But ANY deviation/reaction is enough in my book if the defensive player is in the wrong place already.

Maybe you give the catcher some leeway if the runner is trying to score from second. The runner's path may take her to backside of plate. However, runner starting from third and heading home will be taking direct line. No reason catcher is setting up in baseline for this play. Call obstruction.

Don't treat these differently ... and don't think about the baseLINE at all. (And this may be what you meant...) Consider only the basePATH of the runner, regardless of starting point. Being in the baseLINE is not illegal - only the basePATH matters.

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by tcannizzo

Dead Ball. Runner out for crashing. Return other runners to bases last touched at time of crash.

Not necessarily. Had a situation the other night in a playoff game between two 5A schools, where both the catcher and the pitcher were blocking the runner's access to the plate. Even when the runner tried to move to the inside, the catcher moved with her, caught the ball, and got plowed into all at about the same time. The only ruling I could have possibly had was OBS, because both defensive players were actively hindering the runner's access to the plate, causing her to deviate her path. The subsequent crash was a result, not of interference, but of their obstruction.

[CecilOne]

If the fielder or catcher being positioned in the base path is the reason the runner can't get to the base; isn't that OBS? If the defender is not blocking and would have had to move into the block, it is not certain that the defender would accomplish the block with the ball. That means being in the base path originally creates an advantage for the defender, hence a disadvantage/impedance for the runner.