Multiple Obstructions

[vcblue]

"No one on base, B hits the ball between the outfielders. As she's rounding first, F3 is standing on the bag. BU rules and signals obstruction, mentally noting that this runner would have gotten to third base without the obstruction."

WOW so if the second OBS did not occur the umpire was going to award 3rd for the fielder standing on 1st. HTBT situation, but I would not I would not make that judgment until the play fully developed.

As for the OP. Call obs, award 3rd and get ready for the next pitch. Or, if she did try to go home make the judgment at the time she was tagged out or nothing if she made it home.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by vcblue

WOW so if the second OBS did not occur the umpire was going to award 3rd for the fielder standing on 1st. HTBT situation, but I would not I would not make that judgment until the play fully developed.

If that's true, you're breaking rule number one regarding what you (as umpire) are supposed to do when you see obstruction. Read the rule again - we are SPECIFICALLY told to make that decision right then.

Originally Posted by vcblue

Or, if she did try to go home make the judgment at the time she was tagged out .

Wow... worser and worser.

[vcblue]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

If that's true, you're breaking rule number one regarding what you (as umpire) are supposed to do when you see obstruction. Read the rule again - we are SPECIFICALLY told to make that decision right then.

Wow... worser and worser.

So re-read the rule book and don't see anywhere where I am SPECIFICALLY told to make that decision right then. Please call out the ASA rule or RS.

Believe it or not we are on the same page on this one. Sure, in your mind say. Hit to the outfield, hit in the gap, she had to regain her momentum, so-on-and-so-forth. I will protect her to third. But there are a lot of "what-if that can happen between 1st and 3rd. Let's say she is slow and the outfielder has a great arm (this is not based on the OP). She get's tag out a quarter of the way between 2nd and 3rd. Are you going to award her home or call her out?

My biggest beef with obstruction is Umpires (in my father's words: Ticky-Tacky) don't let the play develop. They see obstruction make a decision. Then things happen that should change their decision and they don't. Or, they just call it to fast. OBS should be seen as "about-to-receive", but called as "ball-in-hand"

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by vcblue

So re-read the rule book and don't see anywhere where I am SPECIFICALLY told to make that decision right then. Please call out the ASA rule or RS.

Which is why we have clinics. It doesn't need to be made immediately, but it must be in a very quick manner, because...

If you do not determine the base which the runner would have reach safely had the OBS not occurred, how are you going to know to where you are protecting that runner?

As noted in the RS, how will you know when the player has run out of protection and is available to be put out if you don't know which base that is?

My biggest beef with obstruction is Umpires (in my father's words: Ticky-Tacky) don't let the play develop. They see obstruction make a decision. Then things happen that should change their decision and they don't. Or, they just call it to fast. OBS should be seen as "about-to-receive", but called as "ball-in-hand"

No, subsequent action should not be considered in the award. Yes, this is from multiple clinics each involving NUS member making the statement.

BTW, I'm a firm believer an umpire should observe a team, learn their strengths, weaknesses and tendencies and use this data in making judgments such as that with OBS.

[vcblue]

Irish: You know my stance on OBS. It is called too often for reasons that have nothing to do with the play. Yes I do decide what base I will protect the runner to at the time of the OBS. All I am saying is you must let the play fully develop take all the information in before making the judgment.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by vcblue

Irish: You know my stance on OBS. It is called too often for reasons that have nothing to do with the play.

And you know mine, it isn't called enough and according to the West Coast coaches, it isn't in that area. You call all OBS and don't worry about the play. What you think may not be relevant to the play at the time of obstruction could become so based upon the the runner's actions of which you have not previous knowledge.

Yes I do decide what base I will protect the runner to at the time of the OBS. All I am saying is you must let the play fully develop take all the information in before making the judgment.

Maybe this is a matter of semantics. When you say "fully develop", I think end of play with which I will disagree. However, if you mean wait to see the ball fielded, I can go with that.