How would you rule this obstruction call?

[reccer]

Originally Posted by steveshane67

So the umps are supposed to protect the runner to the base they would have reached had there been no OBS.

Coach here. Your judgment of where to place the runner should also be influenced by your knowledge (if any) of the respective players and the game situation.

For ex, if the outfield is playing shallow and the co-rec right fielder is playing because of her post game entertainment value as opposed to any discernible athletic acumen and the batter-runner is fast maybe grant home.

Or, with 2 outs fast runner on second and grounder to outfield grant home. As a player, you know with 2 outs he/she is running on contact and will be sent home. Don't reward the defense because they were in the way. If you only protect to third, there is no penalty on the defense to obstruct.

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by reccer

Coach here. Your judgment of where to place the runner should also be influenced by your knowledge (if any) of the respective players and the game situation.

Not being a rule writer, I cannot answer this definitively, but, I am sure that is part of the reason why the rule is worded as it is. The umpire must protect the runner to the base he/she would have received, in his judgment, had the OBS not occurred. This allows the umpire to take in such considerations have you have mentioned. However, as I stated earlier (and will restate now for steveshane67), this determination must be made at the time of the OBS.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by reccer

Or, with 2 outs fast runner on second and grounder to outfield grant home. As a player, you know with 2 outs he/she is running on contact and will be sent home. Don't reward the defense because they were in the way. If you only protect to third, there is no penalty on the defense to obstruct.

Obstruction is not a reward/penalty rule.

The umpires judgment involves the point that the runner was obstructed and the base they would have reached had the obstruction not occurred only. It is not based upon "what should I do to penalize the defense?" Anyone who asked themself that question doesn't understand the rule or is umpiring for the wrong reason.

And the term "in my judgment" is not a catch-all phrase giving the umpire Carte Blanche to circumvent the given rule.