The Official Forum  

Go Back   The Official Forum > Softball
Register FAQ Community Calendar Today's Posts Search

 
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
Prev Previous Post   Next Post Next
  #1 (permalink)  
Old Mon Jan 04, 2010, 11:56am
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Fremont, NH
Posts: 1,352
must obstructed runner physically touch base?

I'm recalling a play from last season and I'd like some inputs.

ASA 16U. I'm Plate Umpire in a 2-man game.

Two outs, R1 on 1B. B2 hits a liner that splits F7 and F8 and rolls to the fence. R1 is attempting to score. F2 is positioned in the basepath, about 12 feet up the line from HP. The relay throw is slightly inside the baseline and as F2 reaches for it, R1 slides into F2. The balls bounces off F2's glove about 4 feet towards the pitcher's circle.

At this point, I raised my left arm and verbalized "Obstruction!"

Meanwhile, B2 had rounded 2B and saw the ball get away from F2 and headed for 3B. F2 retrieved the ball and fired to F5. B2 was safe on a close play, which was called by BU who had properly trailed the play.

After F2 made the throw to F5, R1 got up and proceeded directly to her dugout on the 3B side of the field. She never did touch HP.

So now the dust has settled a bit, I call time out and both coaches approached me to figure out what had happened. I explained that I called obstruction of F2 for blocking the basepath without possession of the ball, and that the runner was awarded home. Of course the defense didn't care for that call and we danced around on that one for a while.

The Offensive coach then asked me if the run counts. Knowing that the runner never physically touched HP, I responded again by saying that the runner was awarded home. In the back of my mind, I'm wondering if the Defense will respond by appealing the runner missing the plate.

It basically ended there, and both coaches went back to their dugouts/buckets. And I'm thinking "let's get by the next pitch"!

So my questions:
1) Did R1, by leaving the field of play after the obstruction call, forfeit her right to come back onto the field and physically touch HP? Could she have come out of the dugout, walked over to HP and stepped on it legally?
2) Had the defense appealed prior to the next pitch, would R1 be out on appeal?
3) If the throw from F2 had sailed into left field and B2 scored, would 2 runs score? I.E. If defense appealed R1 missed HP, as the third out, subsequent run(s) would not count? Or, after the play, R1 could not go back to touch HP after a subsequent runner had scored?

I talked to a couple of other umps after the game. One of them was adamant that I should have killed the play at the point of obstruction. I maintained that the call is a delayed dead ball and while other action is going on, the play is still live. Another guy said that the runner is assumed to have touched the base so the run scores. He didn't seem to understand my question on the potential subsequent defensive appeal for missing HP.

Thanx for your interpretations.
__________________
Ted
USA & NFHS Softball
Reply With Quote
 

Bookmarks


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Obstructed Runner blueump Softball 5 Sun Jan 17, 2010 08:21pm
coach physically assists runner jodibuck Softball 2 Mon Feb 09, 2009 09:37am
Obstructed Runner on an Out blueump Baseball 10 Tue May 22, 2007 03:42pm
Physically assisting a runner or not? C'monBlue Baseball 9 Tue Jul 06, 2004 07:52am
runner returning to touch base shipwreck Softball 15 Fri Mar 29, 2002 09:14am


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:31pm.



Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.3.0 RC1