Yes, but they still have to touch the base. If it was any base other than the plate, it is obvious, since they are going to go stand on the next base. This makes the plate a little unique.

Why do all the good arguments on here occur either when I am at lunch, asleep, or working? (I can hear the cracks about sleep and working already.)

A little unique but not much in so that the next stop is the dugout. They had all the time from the point of obstruction till they touch the DBT in the dugout to finish their baserunning duties.

I understand that completely. But, if you weren't an umpire, would you be aware of your baserunning duties at age 14?

Maybe not but the coach should have been and should have been yelling at her to go back and touch the plate before she got in the dugout.

Thanks for the laugh. But you should put a smiley in your post when you are making fun of coaches. :D

Yes, I should have :)

Coaches are dumb :D

Sorry, I'm in a slap-happy mood today. My games weren't cancelled due to wet conditions, so back behind the plate, I go. :cool:

Which is why I posed the question...

This issue intrigues me as it raises the question: "Are you going to call the book literally? Or by the spirit of the law?"

R1 coming home, F2 blocks the plate, R1 slides wide, PU's arm out and says "obstruction," R1 misses plate, F2 receives ball.

Sit 1: F2 dives and tags R1; PU calls dead ball, awards R1 home on obstruction.

Sit 2: F2 looks at PU and says, "she missed the plate," then tags R1. PU honors the appeal (which is an exception to the obstruction rules), and calls R1 out.

Can anyone find a rule that supports allowing a runner free access to return to touch a base missed due to obstruction, before honoring a missed base appeal?


WMB

What if the PU calls OBS after the play is dead (either on his own, or after conferring with FU, for example) and after the BR entered team area? Do you then let the BR come out and complete her awarded baserunning, since it was the PU's failure to call OBS during live ball play that put the BR in jeopardy from completing her baserunning?

No, actually, it didn't. What prevented the BR from returning to retouch was her entering the dugout. Whether or not OBS was called, she is still obligated to touch home plate, and is in jeopardy of being out on appeal if she does not.

In situation 2, if she missed the plate due to the obstruction, I would award home. Situation 1 is easy.

In the situation in the OP I would keep the obstruction/DDB signal on until she stopped trying to touch home. Then I would have a missed base and possible appeal. I think that this goes with the intent of the rules.

If the runner was tagged before touching the plate, while still attempting to touch the plate, after the the DDB sigal, then I kill the play and award bases.

Comments?

Okay, I'm not 100% certain of the mechanic here, so someone correct me if I'm wrong. In this case, I would expect the BU to call for a dead ball. At that point, the mess should be easily cleared up. The key word being: should.

ASA

RS #1,C,1