Obstruction Clarification

[GregHeff]

Help me clarify this. Runner coming to 3rd base collides with F5 who is straddling the bag with no play being made on the runner, collision happens simultaneously as the runner touches the bag, runner then starts to advance towards home, the coach sees the ump give the obstruction sign, runner then sees the ball thrown to home from F2 and starts to return to 3rd base, F2 throws ball toward F5, runner touches 3rd as coach tells her to go home, runner then proceeds to run home again without being tagged by F5, F5 throws to F2 runner is tagged out at home, my understanding would be that once the obstruction sign is given that runner is protected between those 2 bases and if tagged out at home, 1)umpire could award her home if in his judgement runner would have made home safely without the obs. 2)runner should have been returned to 3rd base safely,
The obs sign cannot be taken off unless there is a play on another runner or the ball has been returned to the pitcher in the circle. Umpire called runner out at home and said took off the obs when runner returned and touched 3rd.

[MD Longhorn]

Delete your last sentence about the Obs sign, and you've got the rest. Sounds like runner should have gone back to 3rd in this situation posted.

There's no such thing as "taking off the obs". OBS gives the runner certain protections, and nothing in this scenario removes those protections.

[youngump]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Delete your last sentence about the Obs sign, and you've got the rest. Sounds like runner should have gone back to 3rd in this situation posted.

There's no such thing as "taking off the obs". OBS gives the runner certain protections, and nothing in this scenario removes those protections.

If the runner was obstructed between third and home, then this call would be right. If the runner was obstructed between 2nd and 3rd then the runner was no longer protected after passing third and is out.

From your description, one would have had to be there to make a judgment as to where the obstruction occurred, but generally an umpire will feel that a runner obstructed at the bag has been obstructed on both sides of the bag (leading you to Mike's answer).