Deflected Ball Interference/Obstruction ? NFHS / ASA rules difference

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by BretMan

I don't get the exception for the pitcher there either. But it's in their rule and in their case book...still don't like it.

I had a deflected ball play come up this weekend. Runner on first, ground ball hit to F4. Ball takes a hop and catches her in the chest, then rolls several feet away, directly in the baseline and directly toward second base. F4 turns and chases the ball and gets to it just a the runner gets to her. They get tangled up and F4 bobbles the ball a couple more times. By the time she controlled it, the runner had reached second and stopped.

Defensive coach starts crying for an interference call because his fielder was "fielding the ball". Sorry, coach...nice try...

Did you call obstruction?

[BretMan]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Did you call obstruction?

Unfortunately, only in my mind.

I'm all for calling obstruction and signalling it whenever you see it, even when it's inconsequential to the play and won't have an award attached to it. If you see it...call it.

But what happened on this one was they tangled up really close to second base, I paused about a split second to make sure I saw what I thought I saw, in my mind I said to myself, "That's not interference", and a split second later the runner was stopped on the bag and the fielder was standing next to her holding the ball.

Essentially, the play ended before I could throw my left arm out. About a second later I thought to myself, "I should have signalled obstruction". I guess I could have thrown my arm out at that point, but the play was over and it seemed kind of moot.

Then the coach started in on me...I did explain to him why I didn't call interference and why it would be obstruction.