Obstruction trivia
 

Seeing as how a few umpires that never miss these actually missed this one, I thought I'd post here...

Runner on 1st. The runner attempts to steal 2nd and runs into the 1B. The batter hits the ball to shortstop and gets a force out at 2nd, and throws blindly to first before the batter runner reaches 1st. The 1B is now on the floor and the ball goes out of play. What's the call?

Once R1 is obstructed (DDB) and put out between the two bases (1st and 2nd) she was OBSed, you have a dead ball. R1 awarded 2nd, B/R awarded 1st.

Assuming it's not a trick question, I echo what the Okie from Texas said.

Yeah....what Okie said.....

Is this another one of those softball.com situations?

Some of the responses to those are waaaaay out there.......

Yes it was.

The first 6 responses over there, including 3 from people that almost always get the questions right, were wrong...

All 6 did not kill the ball at the time of the force at 2nd, and awarded the runners 3rd and 2nd respectively. At least until I mentioned that we had 6 reasonable responses, but 6 coaches that I would have to eject when the actual play was not ruled that way.

The ball is dead the moment F6 touches 2b with possession of the ball. R1 awarded 3B, BR/R awarded 2B.

When the ball became dead the shortstop was holding it at 2nd base. The runners are staying at first and second. Unless I'm missing something.

You are correct, and the award is now 2nd & 1st.

Thank you

Play dead when the force was made on the obstructed runner. The award is the base she would have reached had the obstruction not occurred. Likely this was not second base, but since she can not be put out between the bases she was obbstructed between, and the B/R is going to first, she has to be awarded 2b.