obstuction clarification ASA
 

I've been throwing this situation around all year and have yet to get a consistent answer. I figured i'd let you guys chew on it a little. R1 on 1st. B2 hits ground ball to F6. R1 is obstructed by F4 while running to 2nd. F6 forces R1 at 2nd and throws to F3 to get B2. Now my question is do you have a delayed dead ball obstruction on F4 and then kill it and award bases when F6 forces R1 at 2nd? Does it matter if (in your judgement) R1 would have been out at 2nd if there was no obstruction?

Based on ASA (and most other, if not all) rules, you have it exactly right.

By rule, R1 cannot be put out (by the defense) between the bases where she was obstructed. In your scenario, that's first and second.

When F6 throws to second for the force out on R1, an obstructed runner has been "put out" by the defense between the bases she was obstructed. This is an immediate dead ball. Award R1 second base, because you can't send her back to first. BR is awarded first base.

In this case, your judgement about whether R1 would be out or safe at second does not matter - the written rule takes precedence.

Andy has it correct.

That is a sad commentary... Sad because the situation posed is clearly covered in the rules.

Yes it is... Unfortunately some of us have had to start out in "good ol boy organizations" that refuse to apply the rules correctly (lack of rules clarifications from the local clinician), think they already know all the rules and refuse to discuss them (get offended when critiqued), and\or have no will to take on the challenge of being a better umpire. The umpires that do want to be better and have an opportunity to move up to a higher level usually end up here posting these topics.

What are the alternative rulings you hear from the others? I only ask to help us educate/clarify others we meet.

I've been told to kill the play after the out at first was made and award R1
2nd.

I was also told that if (in your judgement) the runner wouldn't have made it to 2nd if there was no obstruction that you should ignore the obstuction and take the outs.

Consider informing your source they are giving out misinformation.

In your play, the play should have been killed when the OBS was retired.

Do not confuse this with a play where the OBS was irrelevant to the result of the play like on a line drive or fly ball. This was a play in progress and no one really knows how F6 may have handled the play if there was an approaching runner who was not obstructed.