Obstruction

[Crabby_Bob]

Originally Posted by charliej47

I was doing a HS game and a pop-up was hit to F3. R1 was hindered by F4 on the way to 2nd.

I yelled Obstruction! F3 caught the ball and threw R1 out by 20 feet.

I killed the play and awarded R1 2nd base. The OHC came out and wanted the batter safe on 1st and the catch nullified. I ruled the batter out on the catch.

...

Did 8-4-3b Pen A) exception 2 figure into your decision?

[charliej47]

Originally Posted by Crabby_Bob

Did 8-4-3b Pen A) exception 2 figure into your decision?

When I nullified the out at 2nd base, and awarded the base, the runner did not go back and touch 1st.

I waited for an appeal, but no one said anything.

My partner and I talked about it after the game and he thought that I should have placed the runner back on 1st. I thought I was right.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by charliej47

The DHC cam out and wanted R1 out because R1 would not have made 2nd anyway. I reminded the DHC that this as HS and told him that "no runner may be put out if obstructed between bases but is protected to the base she is running to".

I suggest you reread that part of the rule. My book says no such thing.

Originally Posted by charliej47

When I nullified the out at 2nd base, and awarded the base, the runner did not go back and touch 1st.

I waited for an appeal, but no one said anything.

My partner and I talked about it after the game and he thought that I should have placed the runner back on 1st. I thought I was right.

I agree with your partner. Assuming you believe there needed to be an obstruction award (see below), she is awarded the base the umpire judges she would have reached had there been no obstruction. No way is that second base on this play; clearly she needed to return to first base before advancing to second.

Originally Posted by jmkupka

If a runner is obstructed returning to a base left too soon, she is not protected back to that base if, in the umpire's judgement, she wouldn't have made it back without the obstruction. She is not automatically protected "between the two bases".

Edit: Charlie, is my interp (above) not applicable in Fed?

a) What you state is not applicable in NFHS. In fact, 8-4-3-b exception 2 specifically states protection if returning, period.

b) The point here is that this play says R1 was obstructed heading away (to 2nd)!! That actually HELPED R1, in that she was not as far from 1st base as she would have been if not obstructed. And the exception 2 does not state protection applied if obstructed headed away; only if returning.

c) So, unless this play was misstated, it appears to me the exception 2 makes R1 out on the live ball appeal they made.

Originally Posted by charliej47

F3 caught the ball and threw R1 out by 20 feet

[jmkupka]

Wow... COMPLETELY misread his post as runner leaving 2B early & obstructed coming back.
Gotta pay more attention to my work...