Guys I've seen things in this league while playing, and now that I know the rules a lot better, the players get away with a lot. Take for instance last Fall, we played this team that had a 3rd baseman that was fearless. If there was a play at 3rd with the ball coming in from the outfield, he would protect the base like a goal to try to prevent you from getting to the bag. The ball was clearly not in his hands yet and he's down on both knees blocking the bag so that he could catch the ball and make a tag. The runners only option was to either run around him, slide through him, or jump over him... This is OBS right? If not, then I definitely need to reread the book.

It is probably obstruction... "probably" because blocking the base is not obstruction - impeding the progress of the runner is. Whether or not this was obstruction would depend on where the runner was and what he did.

In Beer league softball there is a certain "gentleman's" (term used VERY loosely) code of conduct ie. "Look, we all gotta work in the morning, its for fun, so play nice"

That doesnt make it an ASA rule.

OK, I'll run the risk of pi$$ing off even more people who send me e-mails about the way I do things (ie the clock thing...)

If you're going to become a "new" umpire, you have no right to throw anyone under the bus until you have been out there for a while. You'll find out soon enough that sure enough the players do get by with a little bit when there is just one umpire on the field. And, yes, you're not going to be in position to see everything, including swipe tags at second, maybe swipe tags at third, and a potential bobble by the fist baseman when fielding a throw from the 2B on a great stop in short right field.

These, and other, things, don't make you a bad umpire.

Now if you don't see these things because you're not trying/hustling, then yoyu deserve to be thrown under the bus. Otherwise...

OK, going back to my clock-nazi cave now...