Obstruction question from the NFHS board

[David Emerling]

Originally Posted by BlitzkriegBob

I understood that member to be saying that also. I was trying not to raise that point of view to see if anyone else shared that opinion, but since it's now out there I still can not understand how a runner can not be expected to slide in this situation. Especially as a former coach (and I know this shouldn't influence my opinion), I see both the offense and the defense doing exactly what I would have coached...except for the foot placement of F5. Defense has the inside, offense has the outside.

Watch what you say - Mike will call you "heartless."

If the obstruction rule hadn't been changed and made more stringent, everything we're discussing with fielder's little tootsies in front of the bag wouldn't be much of an issue.

We all know that such things have traditionally been allowed for many years in softball (and baseball for that matter). In fact coaches and fans would actually commend a fielder for "blocking out" the runner and tagging her out. Catchers were expected to "take away" part of the plate while awaiting a throw on an impending play. A first baseman would lay down her lag across the bag, completely blocking out the runner, as the catcher attempted a pickoff at 1st. It was all part of the game and everybody accepted it ... until now.

Some umpires still have that old view of obstruction indelibly planted in their brain. And some coaches try to take advantage of that. Which would be expected. It's the umpires' job to force the adjustment to new standards through their enforcement, not the coaches. When the umpires start calling it, the coaches and players will adjust. For better or worse, that's the reality of it.

A ship will maintain its current course until somebody applies a little pressure to the rudder. It's the umpires who have to apply that pressure. It's not the ship's fault that it is remaining on course.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

[3afan]

strictly from that pic, at that instant - no OBS

[CajunNewBlue]

no obs... but since when, don't we have to take off our face masks (in this case his helmet face mask thingy "ugly damn things" imho..lol) to make a call down at third? or is this some new safety rule i didn't get a memo about.

[David Emerling]

Originally Posted by 3afan

strictly from that pic, at that instant - no OBS

I wouldn't use the word "strictly."

Strictly speaking, it is obstruction.

Is the fielder's foot in front of the base? YES!

Does the fielder have the ball? NO!

And the runner is just inches from the bag, so she is clearly in close enough proximity for these to be factors.

And yet, from a practical point of view, I would not call obstruction on this play. But I don't think I'd be having a long discussion about it. And I certainly wouldn't say "strictly speaking" ... more like "practically speaking."

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

[bluezebra]

Originally Posted by BlitzkriegBob

I believe it was Tom who mentioned that there was a spirited debate on the NFHS forum regarding whether there was enough information in the following picture to rule obstruction.

http://suwanneesports.smugmug.com/ga...2667451#P-6-15

I usually keep my mouth shut since I'm still green (being a green blue makes me...what?), but for the purpose of discussion, at that point in time in the picture, I do not have obstruction. I know Tom also does not have obstruction from what is shown. WMB was on the opposite side, and because of my enormous amount of respect for his opinions, I would like to know how others feel and what they see or do not see to support their reason for making/not making the call.

(being a green blue makes me...what?)

AQUAMAN

Bob

[tcblue13]

Originally Posted by bluezebra

(being a green blue makes me...what?)

AQUAMAN

Bob

[Blu_IN]

And no one else besides me and one other noticed the ump was out at third base making a call with his hockey mask still on? Tacky.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by Blu_IN

And no one else besides me and one other noticed the ump was out at third base making a call with his hockey mask still on? Tacky.

Check post #8 in this thread, plus there were several comments on it on the NFHS board (in fact, the primary topic in the OP on the NFHS board had to do with the helmets... several pictures were referenced there; it just went OT into OBS...)