Obstruction or not!

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Linknblue

Out of curiosity cuz I'm heard it both ways.

Catcher setting up to take a throw for a play at the plate and she's in runner's base path albeit the runner's 30 feet away. Runner from third is heading home. Catcher is in base path before ball gets there. Runner is coming full bore at plate and I'm looking for the runner to be "hindered, impeded, whatever" and I don't see anything.......she's still coming straight at plate and catcher doesn't have ball yet. So far no foul. Runner is now going into her slide at plate (didn't deviate a bit and she's about 5 feet from plate. Catcher takes throw as the runner's about to slide into her. Call is "out" on tag. It's a bang bang play.

Coaches want obstruction because catcher was in the runner's base path. Clearly in the base path. Runner didn't deviate a bit. Because runner didn't deviate and there was no malicious contact can this be obstruction? Or is this nothing and a great play at plate? If catcher wasn't in base path (didn't block plate completely) and did a swipe tag there is never a question.

Is the runner considered impeded even though she really wasn't, at least in my eyes? We're talking at the beginning of her slide and the ball isn't there yet but "no sign of being impeded".

Speaking ASA

If there was no obstruction, there is no obstruction call.

There is no rule forbidding the defense from being in the potentional path of a runner and you have clearly stated that in your judgment, there was no hindrance or impediment of the runner, so there is no OBS.

Good non-call.