How do you determine obstruction?

[shagpal]

I would say contact is not absolutely necessary.

[ASA/NYSSOBLUE]

Here's a play I had in a time limit tournament game, me being PU:

R1 is on 2nd, ball hit to deep SS with R1 heading to 3rd, SS throws to 3rd, but the ball gets away and goes toward the DBL, with both 3B and the C going after it. As R1 makes the turn to go home, the P, who was inbetween the circle and the 3B line decides to cover home - by running directly down the baseline about 7-8 ft in front of R1. As I had gone over to check on the errant throw, and was now going to HP, all I had to see was the position of both R1 and the P to know I had possible OBS. I stuck my arm out, and eventually the ball, runner and fielder all get there about the same time, I kill the ball, and declare OBS, and give R1 home.

Now, I will admit I never saw R1 slow down, but in MY book, I didn't have to - in MY book, when that fielder runs DIRECTLY in front the runner that close, its good enough for me. Our local school clinician always teaches OBS by the 'tricycle sitting in the driveway' approach. In this case, your kid was riding that tricycle directly in front of you, and I don't have to SEE you slow down, to know you are GOING to slow down, or at the very least, be inconvienenced - which is still OBS, and you still will get that next base.

And oh yeah, time ran out on that game with the score 1-1

[IRISHMAFIA]

Never worked a game under MY Book rules.



I understand the philosophy, but don't always by into presumption because you just know.

Did you ever have a coach tell you a runner MUST have left early because there is no way that runner could have gotten to 2B that quick? Or because no one can steal on that catcher? Or that pitch must have been illegal because (fill in blank).

I'm going to have to see the effect of the OBS. I have seen players run right through a fake tag without hesitation. Did I call OBS? No, because there wasn't any impediment. Did I still warn the fielder? Oh, yeah.

By definition, there needs to be some affect on the B/BR/R for OBS to be in effect.

[DBull]

After being out of umpiring for over ten years, I recently worked the bases in a game under FED rules.

This situation came up several times during the game:

A runner (from the visiting team) would be on 2nd base, the ball would be in possession of the catcher who would be faking a throw to second, or the pitcher. The runner would be standing about four or five steps off the base.
While this impasse was going on the short stop would move up right next to the runner, in the base path, and stand there.

The runner was not attempting to go to third, so I saw no obstruction; but what if the runner had made a move toward third, would this then have been obstruction?

This move by the short stop seemed to be a regular move that she used all the time.

[Dakota]

The fielders can / be stand anywhere on the playing field they want to be. It is not obstruction unless the runner is actually impeded.