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Not to add more elements to it, but as she had the head start, 3B coach sent her as soon as he saw the toss to F2. My take is he sent her based on the play at 1st & not on the OBS.
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Erase all the other noise from the play. Ignore trying to read the coach's mind. It's really this simple, and there's only one thing you should be worried about. At the moment of obstruction, where did you, the umpire, think she would get to had there not been obstruction. Ball in the infield - runner approaching 3rd. I think it's clear the answer is 3rd. |
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Thankfully softball games are played on the field and not online. |
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Having said that the big point on this thread is the time to make your decision on where to protect a runner who has been obstructed is at the time of the obstruction based on situation at the time of the obstruction. Don't wait till end of all play and then decide on award. The fact that a runner is put out on a close play when she was obstructed someplace else on the bases is not necessarily a reason to award that base. |
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An umpire making a decision using that logic, or even making that statement after the fact, is waiting far too long to decide what the proper award should be. |
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Where does it say in the rules and interpretations that we must decide immediately what the proper award should be, and not deviate from that decision, no matter what happens next? |
We just had this discussion in "That's Interference"
http://forum.officiating.com/933817-post43.html |
I seem to remember a discussion awhile back where ASA wanted the decision for potential reward made at the time of the obstruction, but Fed allowed for the play to develop. FWIW, page 35 of the Fed umpire manual speaks of obstruction but doesn't give a specific as to when the decision needs to be made. Page 252 of the 2010 ASA manuel (my latest) says essentially the same. I think Manny has a point in questioning the validity of making the unretractable decision at the moment of the infraction. Has this been emphasized in clinics?
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And it is nothing new. Same direction I received a quarter of a century ago long before I became a UIC and clinician. |
You know, umpires are not rules makers, yet we constantly run into umpires who want to adjust rules to their beliefs or convenience.
The purpose of an OBS ruling is to negate the OBS, not give a runner free pass until s/he stops or gets put out. A misplay of a thrown ball @ third, or anywhere else for that matter, has ZIP to do with an OBS at 1B, This is why the determination should be made based upon the, and I hate using this term as it's meaning has become so convoluted in this game, initial play by the defense.. |
So if the BR makes contact with a clueless F3 as she rounds first on a gapper, and you decide at that moment she is going to be protected only to second base, but she keeps going to third and gets tagged out on the F9 to F4 to F5 relay:
A. By an eyelash B. By 15 feet It doesn't matter, and we rule her out? Well then, good luck convincing the OC that the BR would never have made third minus the obstruction. |
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IDK whether reliability or consistency is improved by making the judgment of "single", "double", "triple",... , but those that teach umpiring clinics apparently believe it is. Besides, if you are making calls based on your ability to convince the coach.... |
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