OBS Question

[Dholloway1962]

Can an umpire change what he is going to award on an OBS based on the actions of a runner after the OBS?

Example to hopefully clarify:

B1 hits and there is an overthrow at 1B which goes to RF fence. BR is obstructed by F4 as she heads towards 2B and umpire thinks she would make home. Rounding 2B, BR trips over the bag or trips over her own feet, unrelated to the OBS. Now she picks herself up and staggers back to 2B because ball is now coming back.

Do you award her home or, since she fell unrelated to the OBS, leave her where she is or maybe give her 3B instead?

Just curious....hopefully you understand what I'm trying to say

[NCASAUmp]

In this sitch, I don't know if I would award home. Did the OBS cause her to trip on 2B? Would she have still tripped had the OBS not happened?

Would the vase still have fallen if the Oracle hadn't have said anything to Neo?

Maybe she's normally clumsy. Maybe she pulled a muscle when F4 got in her way.

It's our jobs to take in the whole picture of the play or series of plays on the field. If F4 caused the loss of balance, and you feel that she would have made it home, award home. If the OBS did not cause the loss of pedal mobility, then I say it may justify rethinking your initial award.

Softball plays are fluid, and snapshots in time do not always dictate our calls. I realize they say, "make your award at the time of the OBS," but I think you still need to use sound judgment and evaluate the play as a whole.

I would probably award 3B as a happy medium, being that this scenario states that the OBS was unrelated to the stumble. Awarding home would be a big stretch to sell to anyone.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

I would probably award 3B as a happy medium, being that this scenario states that the OBS was unrelated to the stumble. Awarding home would be a big stretch to sell to anyone.

There are some who argue that the award is adjusted as the play progresses, and those who argue that the award is made at the time of the OBS and not adjusted, but I've never heard anyone argue to award half the distance (isn't that football?).

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by Dakota

There are some who argue that the award is adjusted as the play progresses, and those who argue that the award is made at the time of the OBS and not adjusted, but I've never heard anyone argue to award half the distance (isn't that football?).

I'm not awarding half the distance. The "happy medium" comment was not meant to be taken literally.

I'm awarding my best judgment on what I believe the runner would have reached had there been no OBS. It's a HTBT, I guess, but I figure that it'd be hard to justify to the OC to keep her on 2B. It'd be equally hard to justify to the DC that she should be awarded home. Awarding one base due to OBS is easily justified. Award two (and score a run), and you'd better feel pretty certain that the runner would have scored had there been no OBS.

In my judgment, if I feel that she would have definitely reached home, then that's what I'd award. I'd also expect a long "chat" with the Defensive Coach who, hopefully, hasn't flipped their lid.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Dholloway1962

Can an umpire change what he is going to award on an OBS based on the actions of a runner after the OBS?

Example to hopefully clarify:

B1 hits and there is an overthrow at 1B which goes to RF fence. BR is obstructed by F4 as she heads towards 2B and umpire thinks she would make home. Rounding 2B, BR trips over the bag or trips over her own feet, unrelated to the OBS. Now she picks herself up and staggers back to 2B because ball is now coming back.

Do you award her home or, since she fell unrelated to the OBS, leave her where she is or maybe give her 3B instead?

Just curious....hopefully you understand what I'm trying to say

While sitting at a computer, probably miles away from the field, it may seem to some the 3 bases is a bit generous. Then again, like I said, miles away from the field.

Here is a question which may pertain to the situation. Was the OBS physical? Could the trip or tanglefoot move be a result of the runner being disoriented or still out of stride due to the OBS?

A lot of things could be taken into consideration. Some things should and other should not, but when it comes right down to it, only you know what part of the event you used to determine the award.