Let me ask you to solve this:

ASA. R1. Batter gets a hit into the outfield. R1 is obstructed by F4. The BU sees and signals the obstruction. R1 attempts to advance to 3rd and is thrown out by the slimmest margine. The PU makes the out call at 3rd. Then F5 sees that the BR is attempting to advance to 2nd and a throw is made in an attempt to stop that runner. The runner ends up in a lengthy rundown and is ultimately tagged out.

While the rundown was going on, what do you do if ...

(a) The runner who was called OUT at 3rd, leaves the field and enters her dugout - thinking she is out. Afterall, that's what the PU called her.

(b) or, the same runner trots home, touches the plate, picks up the bat of her teammate and enters her dugout? Count the run? Stand by for the world's biggest sh*tstorm from the defense. "But you called her OUT! How can she score???" Explain THAT one.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

The answer is C. Dead ball when R1 is tagged, B2 returns to 1st and R1 stays on 3rd. If B2 had a resonable chance for 2nd then that is where B2 ends up.

a) After the play, put the runner back on 3rd. If the runner and coach didn't note the obstruction call, tough.

b) After the play, kill the ball, award the runner 3rd base on the assumption that without the obstruction, she would have been safe at 3rd and not ignored by the defense. Then the problem is what to do with the other runner (BR). Award her 2nd, assuming no rundown with a runner safe at 3rd.

You don't do a thing because before this happens, BU has killed the play and ruled on the obstruction. All subsequent action is ignored. If the trailing runner was more than half-way to 2B at the time R1 was tagged, they are allowed to stay at 2B. If not, the runner is returned to 1B.

I though the point of what we have been saying is to delay the dead ball. Doesn't killing the play that soon penalize the offense by depriving the BR of the chance to reach 2nd, if she wasn't more than half-way? What if the initial tag out of an obstructed runner happened at 2nd instead of 3rd and there was a runner on 3rd who could score while the BR was in a rundown between 1st and 2nd?

It doesn't make any difference, once the obstructed runner is tagged out, the play is killed.

The "delay" goes into effect once the obstruction is observed. We wait for the play to finish before killing the ball, if necessary.

One thing that I use when determining where to place runners on an obstruction call: The defense violated. If in doubt, place the runners forward to penalize the infraction.

Are these two comments saying something different or am I misunderstanding one?

I don't know. You are the one who questioned killing the play when the obstructed runner is tagged out.

No, <b>IF</b> you realize that the play is finished immediately when the obstructed runner is put out before reaching her awarded base regardless of what other runners might be doing at the time.

SamC

Thanks for the good clarification.