Obstruction question from the NFHS board

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by David Emerling

Confession time: When coaching, we used to teach our pitchers, when covering home on a passed ball with a runner on 3rd, to position themselves so that their foot (not their body) was blocking the runner's access to the plate while waiting for the catcher to retrieve the ball. Even though it was clearly obstruction we figured it this way:

(snip for brevity)

NOTE: Please spare me the inevitable sanctimonious "shame on you" posts that are sure to follow. "You're teaching your players to cheat!" Blah, blah, blah. It was competitive softball. Everybody knows the rules. We were willing to accept the risk of an obstruction call on the chance of getting an out. That's why there are umpires. They do their job and coaches do their job. If the umpire calls obstruction, then we have to live with it. We accept that without complaint. This was a rare play and I don't ever recall actually gaining any of the advantages described in this post. Usually the runner was very safe or very out. I do recall one time, however, after a runner had scored in this fashion, the plate umpire politely told our pitcher, in a very matter-of-fact way, "You have to get of the way next time," as if she unknowingly was in the runner's way - not realizing that she was doing it on purpose.

As you can probably tell, I never had any difficulty adjusting to wearing either "hat."

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

Cheat? Yeah, right. My concern is that you were willing to place a young lady's well being in jeopardy for a "well, just maybe" situation. Did you ever try thinking there was an idiot coach in the other dugout, too? You know, the guy/gal that is as equally, if not more agressive with their players. The type that is going to tell the player to attain a base at all cost and if you hurt the opponent, oh well, it's competitive softball!

As an aggressive player, if a defender had the nerve to try and block a base with their foot/leg, the target of my slide was no longer the base, but the player. I've sent a few players off the field in my younger days and I'm not talking about under their own power.

Was it stupid? Hell, yeah, but it was competitive softball. Did I do it as I grew older and wiser? Hell, no. The difference is that I did this as a young adult (and that may be questionable in itself ). You are teaching children who will not know the ramification of listening to a heartless coach until they are in the ambulance.

Yeah, shame on you and any other disingenuous moron masquerading as a coach.

[David Emerling]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Cheat? Yeah, right. My concern is that you were willing to place a young lady's well being in jeopardy for a "well, just maybe" situation. Did you ever try thinking there was an idiot coach in the other dugout, too? You know, the guy/gal that is as equally, if not more agressive with their players. The type that is going to tell the player to attain a base at all cost and if you hurt the opponent, oh well, it's competitive softball!

As an aggressive player, if a defender had the nerve to try and block a base with their foot/leg, the target of my slide was no longer the base, but the player. I've sent a few players off the field in my younger days and I'm not talking about under their own power.

Was it stupid? Hell, yeah, but it was competitive softball. Did I do it as I grew older and wiser? Hell, no. The difference is that I did this as a young adult (and that may be questionable in itself ). You are teaching children who will not know the ramification of listening to a heartless coach until they are in the ambulance.

Yeah, shame on you and any other disingenuous moron masquerading as a coach.

I love telling that story because it always brings out posts exactly like this. Didn't I predict it?

The pitcher is going to position herself very near the plate anyway - I've seen pitchers actually straddle the plate - which wouldn't be obstruction but I certainly wouldn't recommend it. Being off to the side, with one foot planted on the 3rd base side of the plate poses no physical threat to the pitcher.

I'm just being honest. Coaching and umpiring causes one to have a certain realistic perspective of the dynamics involved between the two. Coaches try to get away with stuff and it's the umpires' job to prevent it. To pretend that this doesn't go on is naive to the extreme. And to view that dynamic as something evil is equally naive.

Umpires have their little bag of self-serving "tricks" they employ to manage the game even if they're not willing to admit the things they ignore or the rules they choose to enforce.

When I umpire, it doesn't bother me in the least when a coach tries to "pull a fast one." I just apply the appropriate rule and calmly enforce it. If everybody does their job - it all works out fine and fairness is maintained.

By the way, my daughter is a pitcher - she's still alive - has never been injured by placing her foot on the 3rd base side of the plate - and just signed a full Div I scholarship to play at Binghamton University.

Thanks for your advice, though. Duly noted.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

[David Emerling]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Cheat? Yeah, right. My concern is that you were willing to place a young lady's well being in jeopardy for a "well, just maybe" situation. Did you ever try thinking there was an idiot coach in the other dugout, too? You know, the guy/gal that is as equally, if not more agressive with their players. The type that is going to tell the player to attain a base at all cost and if you hurt the opponent, oh well, it's competitive softball!

Perfect! Crashing a fielder and malicious contact supersede obstruction.

SHE'S OUT!

Just kidding, Mike. But I couldn't resist.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN