Obstruction?

[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.