Trailing runner tagged out after lead runner is obstructed

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by youngump

Everybody below seems to take this as permission to call the runner safe. Is that how you mean it to be interpreted?
From reading the rules, I think I would conclude that if the obstructed runner is tagged out then we will award all runners and if not then we award only the obstructed runner. And I'm not sure this clarification makes it any easier to have the runner at 2nd safe.

Yes, that is how I read it to be interpreted. I think it makes no sense to award bases to "all runners affected" only if the obstructed runner is tagged out, and not if another affected runner is. To do so means the defense benefits from the obstruction; and that is what we supposed to be negating.

The only substantive difference in which runner affected is actually tagged out, in my mind, is when we kill the play (obstructed runner tagged out) and when we wait until the play ends (another runner tagged out).