obstruction or out

[fiasco]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

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.

Yikes! Don't getcher panties all in a wad for my sake, brother. I'm just trying to have a discussion here.

The fact is that the rule is not as clear cut as you claim it to be. Read it again.

8-5-4-c

"When a fielder fakes a tag without the ball"

It is not clear from the sentence structure if "without the ball" applies to the TAG or to the FIELDER. I'm inclined to think, because of where the modifier "without the ball" is placed, it is meant to apply to the tag, not the fielder.

Another example of poor editing in the ASA manual. If it was so clear cut as you claim it to be, the rule would read:

"When a fielder, without the ball, fakes a tag"

But that's not what it says, is it? The fact is that the rule is worded poorly.