Obstruction?

[bsnalex]

At a recent game, batter hits fly ball to right field. F9 picks it up off the bounce, fires it to hone, where it's caught by F1, who is standing just inside fair territory on the broad edge of home plate. F2 is standing in foul territory, behind the point of home, backing up the throw.

R1 from third, who got a late start as it was a fly arrives at home as F1 makes the catch. F1 swings his body around to make the tag, which promptly hits runner in the tummy with a two handed tag.. Runner made no attempt to slide. Runner falls down, pitcher falls down, then shows me the ball. I call runner out.

Manager claims obstruction on pitcher's part. I maintainthat because the pitchers feet were off the baseline, it's runner out.

Did I get it right?

[RadioBlue]

If I read your sitch correctly, you got it right, but not for the right reason. A fielder with the ball cannot be called for obstruction. Even if the manager contends that the fielder was in the basepath prior to receiving the ball, if the fielder did not impede the runner, there is no obstruction. The manager who says, "A fielder can't be in the baseline without the ball!!" is only partially correct. A fielder without the ball cannot be in the basepath and impede the runner. There is nothing illegal about standing in the basepath in and of itself.

[Andy]

Two things have to happen in order to call obstruction:

The fielder does not have the ball -and-
The fielder without the ball impedes the runner

Your situation tells us nothing about the runner prior to the fielder having the ball. Where the fielder is standing, in and of itself, is not the basis for an obstruction call.

The question that needs to be answered is - Was the runner impeded (slowed down, changed direction, stutter stepped, etc.) by the fielder before the fielder had the ball? If the answer to that question is YES, then you have obstruction.

[MD Longhorn]

Also, it's conceivable you have a basis for OBS on F2 here, even though she's behind the plate. Did SHE cause the runner to react?

[bsnalex]

The runner was glued to third until the ball landed in right field. During the play the pitcher was never on the third base line. Runner never made an attempt to slow down or avoid the tag. The only part of the pitcher's body that passed over the baseline was his hands when he swiveled to make the tag.

@MD longhorn, F2 was not a factor, she was backing up the throw to home that F1 was collecting.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by bsnalex

F2 was not a factor, she was backing up the throw to home that F1 was collecting.

I was wondering why F1 was at home for the play and F2 was backing it up. I don't work co-ed games, and in the few years that I played, our female F2s were up to the task of playing their position as expected.

One of the most tenuous moments in my co-ed experience was when a male from the opposite team went in standing up and knocked our female F2 backwards, hitting her head against the ground in the process. Needless to say, we had both the EMTs and the military police show up to our ball field.

[bsnalex]

Because this is British softball and the women take a few years to get used to play calling and overall nuances of the game. IMO if the female F2 took that throw she wouldn't have caught it anyway.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by bsnalex

The runner was glued to third until the ball landed in right field. During the play the pitcher was never on the third base line. Runner never made an attempt to slow down or avoid the tag. The only part of the pitcher's body that passed over the baseline was his hands when he swiveled to make the tag.

That's fine, and you likely did not have OBS here. Just don't get in the habit of using the baseline to mean anything at all. It's irrelevant. The path of the runner is the ONLY thing that matters. You could have a defender inside the baseline guilty of obstruction - you could also have a defender over the baseline not guilty of obstruction.

The only thing you're looking for is if the fielder is in the path of the runner without the ball - and then if that runner altered their path (slowed, tried to go around the fielder, or contacted the fielder) because of that fielder before they had the ball.

[bsnalex]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

That's fine, and you likely did not have OBS here. Just don't get in the habit of using the baseline to mean anything at all. It's irrelevant. The path of the runner is the ONLY thing that matters. You could have a defender inside the baseline guilty of obstruction - you could also have a defender over the baseline not guilty of obstruction.

The only thing you're looking for is if the fielder is in the path of the runner without the ball - and then if that runner altered their path (slowed, tried to go around the fielder, or contacted the fielder) because of that fielder before they had the ball.

Appreciate the tips. I'm midway through my second year of blueing. Had a blast playing, but realised my knees aren't what they used to be, and because there's so few really outstanding umps in GB, if I work as many as I can I figure I'll get to ESF and ISF in the next few years.

[Steve M]

Originally Posted by bsnalex

Appreciate the tips. I'm midway through my second year of blueing. Had a blast playing, but realised my knees aren't what they used to be, and because there's so few really outstanding umps in GB, if I work as many as I can I figure I'll get to ESF and ISF in the next few years.

Tell Spencer I said hi. I met him - after talking on this board - a few years ago at the indoor cup.