Obstruction & flagrant contact

[DUNDALKCHOPPER]

If R1 coming home from 3rd is obstructed by F2 who is about to catch a throw, but R1 clearly takes out F2... do we award a run, then eject R1 ?. OR can we ignor the Obstruction, award an out and then eject R1 ?

[EsqUmp]

There is no provision for calling her out.

Count the run. Call dead ball. Eject the player if it is malicious.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by DUNDALKCHOPPER

If R1 coming home from 3rd is obstructed by F2 who is about to catch a throw, but R1 clearly takes out F2... do we award a run, then eject R1 ?. OR can we ignor the Obstruction, award an out and then eject R1 ?

The only way you could wiggle an out on this play would be if there was no obstruction and you ruled INT and even that may take a little stretch of the rules.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by DUNDALKCHOPPER

If R1 coming home from 3rd is obstructed by F2 who is about to catch a throw, but R1 clearly takes out F2... do we award a run, then eject R1 ?. OR can we ignor the Obstruction, award an out and then eject R1 ?

Which rule set are you using? NFHS, NCAA, ASA, or USSSA? I will assume that the game is fastpitch and being played under NFHS Rules.

The answer to your question would be: The ball is Dead immediately and the Runner is Out and all other Runners return to the last Base touched at the time of the time of the Malicious Contact.

See NFHS R3-S6-A18 and Penalty (A18, 19, and A18): "Initiating malicious contact is prohibited. Penalty: (Arts. 18, 19) Considered serious offenses, the offender shall be ejected. (Art. 18) If by the offense, the play is dead immediately, the offender is declared out unless she has already been put out or scored and all runners return to the last base touched at the time of the malicious contact (R8-S6-A14). If by the defense, the offender is ejected at the end of playing action."

MTD, Sr.


P.S. The NFHS FastPitch Softball rule and penalty for Malicious Contact is the same as its Baseball rule. MTD, Jr., had the exact same play in a boy's JV baseball game earlier this Spring and it almost cost the Visitor's the game. Two outs in the top of the 6th inning and the Runner knocks F2 on his tuchus. No runs are scored until the Visitor's score, what turns out to be the winning run, in the top of the 10th inning.

[RadioBlue]

I am assuming NFHS, as well.

...clearly takes out...

Just to be clear, was the contact malicious? To use the RB terminology, did the contact involve "excessive force"? If so, the MC supersedes obstruction (8-6-14). Additionally, the timing of the contact is important.

It comes down to your judgment. Did the MC occur before or after she touched the plate? In either case, you have a dead ball as soon as it occurs. If the MC occurred before she touched the plate, she's out and ejected and all other runners return to the last legally touched base at the time of the MC. If it was after she scored, she's ejected and all other runners return.

As for me, the runner loses the benefit of the doubt and she's going to be out unless I'm 110% certain she scored before the MC.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by EsqUmp

There is no provision for calling her out.

There is in high school.

[DUNDALKCHOPPER]

In my case ASA

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by DUNDALKCHOPPER

In my case ASA

Which takes you back to my response. Years back, the interpretation was to call the out and the rules were addressed in a roundabout manner to support the interpretation. However, that is no longer the case.

There was a proposed change a few years back to support an out in this case, but it receive little to no support in the committee's and was rejected.

[x-tremeump]

I have seen to much of this myself, HTBT F2 about to receive the ball ? MC ? Where was the runner ? Where was F2 ? To me this play is not a black and white play, Also what level of play are we talking ? To much Unknown. MC is bad and is 100% judgement, again HTBT.