obstruction or out

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by fiasco

I'm gonna play devil's advocate here.

According to the definition and the rule, it is obstruction if the fielder "tag(s) without the ball."

The spirit of the rule is to prevent fielders from "faking out" the runner by applying a fake tag. "Without the ball" applies not to the fielder having the ball, but the tag itself.

You read it as "fielder FAKES A TAG without the ball", meaning the fielder fakes a tag but doesn't have the ball in his/her possession.

I read it as "fielder fakes a TAG WITHOUT THE BALL" meaning the tag lacks the presence of the ball to make the tag an out.

I'm not sure if there's an official interpretation on this, but if not, I'm going with the spirit of the rule here. Runner is safe at 2nd.

Well, Devil's Advocate, thank God I'm an atheist, because I don't believe in any word you say. You're completely going against the spirit of the rule: defensive players hindering runners when they DON'T have possession of the ball.

There doesn't need to be any "official interpretation" of the fake tag rule. Everyone else seems to get it. The fielder HAS the ball in their possession, but it's not an out until the runner is tagged with the ball, or with the glove that's holding the ball. It's not that hard.

Period.