Obstruction
 

ASA and no one on base. Batter hits a ball to the fence. As the batter-runner rounds 1st they are obstructed. Runner now continues on rounding 2nd and 3rd and heads for home. Close play at home and runner is tagged just before reaching the plate.

Is obstruction still in play? If the runner hadn't been obstructed this would have been and inside the parker. Is obstruction off because the play wasn't at 2nd base?

I've tried to understand the rule as written and it isn't clear in my old and worn out brain.

Thanks

You already answered your own question. You said absent the obstruction it would have been a parker. The obstruction rule states at the conclusion of play you award the base or bases the runner would have reached absent the obstruction.

I agree with your conclusion, but after you call the R out, then call time and award R Home, I am sure that you will be ejecting the Defensive HC shortly thereafter, LOL!

MTD, Sr.

Almost correct.

You do NOT call the R out. The approved ruling and mechanic is to NOT call the out if you will then need to reverse that out. According to RS #36, Call "Dead Ball" (not time, that is baseball) if/when the obstructed runner is apparently out before reaching the base you judge she would have reached, and award the appropriate base (the one she would have reached, in your judgement, had she not been obstructed).

Now for the correct answer :)

If you were not the umpire who ruled the OBS, you call the play that unfolds in front of you. If the runner was out, you call the out. At that point, the ball is dead and you and your partner talk and apply any ruling necessary. Do NOT assume you know your partner's call.

If you were the umpire who ruled the OBS and the runner had not reached the base to which s/he was protected, call "dead ball", announce the violation and award.

In the first example, I'm assuming that you mean, "If you were NOT the umpire who ruled OBS".

This only works if the umpire who called the obstruction and knows the award base he's going to give is also the umpire who calls the runner out. In the OP, those would have been 2 different umpires. PU would not know BU's award judgement was home. If there was another runner on, PU might not even know there was obstruction at first.

Where did anybody say they were in a two umpire system????

:D

It was a one umpire scenario. Thanks guys! I've heard so many different things about obstruction and awards recently I decided to "re-read" the book and see if I could understand and I couldn't. Book for my head ain't clear on this subject......too complicated, but, it's complicated I guess to explain all the nuances to obstruction.

Shouldn't the Ump calling the Obstruction have his left hand out in a fist ? So I would say just about everyone should know there's an Obstructed runner during the play.

Yes, thank you for the proof read

You are correct, the umpire that calls the obstruction should indicate that with a delayed dead ball signal.

Everybody knows there is obstruction, but the only person that knows how far that runner is protected due to the obstruction is the umpire.

Also, you don't run around the field with your arm out. You signal it, hold it, and drop it. With multiple runners it would be easy for one or more umpires to have not seen your signal... and as Andy said, none of them know what your award is.

1) Please confirm that is also correct for NFHS.
2) If other runners, is it last base touched or the "half-way rule" on the dead ball?
3) How do we avoid penalizing the defense with the dead ball, if they could get another out?

I'm not Steve, but I will share my thoughts....

1. Not sure on the NFHS guideline, but I have always handled it the same as ASA.

2. It is the Umpire's judgement. Benefit of the doubt goes to the offense.

3. The DEFENSE committed the violation by Obstructing the runner in the first place. If Why should they benefit by being allowed to get additional outs?

So, in your 1st scenario, there will be 2 calls. After PU calls "out" at the plate, BU (probably in shallow C position after following the sole runner around) immediately calls "dead ball". Does he call his partner together to discuss what he has, or make a general announcement, "I have her obstructed rounding 1st, and protected to home"

Both, but I never "have" anything. "Obstruction, (insert some indication of whom caused the OBS), runner awarded ......"

Thank you!

Here's a play I had last night...

ASA Slowpitch. Hit to OF and runners are moving on hit. Trail runner going into 3rd on close tag play. Defense is at bag waiting for throw. I don't have obstruction cuz they aren't in front of bag. Runner slides and defense misses ball and a cluster scramble at base with both players being momentarily tangled up.

Runner sees ball is not caught and tries to get up but defense is hindering that effort. I've now got obstruction. Play continues with a continuous obstruction and the runner eventually get up and is heading for home with defense still contacting him for about 3 feet. Defense, while still tangled up in the obstruction, is going after ball now but trying to go thru runner so they are now bumping each other for another 4 or 5 feet past 3rd....each of them trying to get free of the other.

Any thoughts?

Was the OBS, particularly the final part, before or after 3rd?

OBS, protected between 3rd & home

Protected to home. Award possibly determined

No further thoughts until the play ends or the obstructed runner is tagged out.

So the way I'm reading the runner just ran nonstop around the bases while the defense chased down the ball then threw it home? The defense didn't throw the ball anywhere else around the field which may have allowed the batter-runner to advance?

What I'm getting at is that just because there is a close play somewhere after the runner was obstructed does not mean that OBS was still in play. You sold be able to determine where you are protecting the runner prior to the play at home not basing it on how close the play at home is.

In the many OBS discussions here, it's always been stressed that the award basically has to be determined at the time of the OBS itself. Fortunately I've never had to project out 3 bases for an award. If this situation (OBS runner full bore around the bases and a bang-bang at the plate) I guess we have to judge whether they were going nonstop due to the gapper to the fence or the OBS.

The play was the runner slid into 3rd and ball got away from defense. Both players were tangled up because of the slide and missed ball. Runner got up after struggle with defense and the bumping continued for about 5 to 8 feet between 3rd and home.

Offense argrued obstruction.
Defense argued interference because they were going after the ball.

I ruled obstruction and awarded home because it never stopped and was originally the issue. Was defense going after ball? Yes, but the cluster-tangle seemed mostly about obstructing the runner.....both were trying to get out from each other's way.

"Going after the ball" is irrelevant. The defense has no right of way at all on anything but a batted ball. There's no "seemed mostly about obstructing...". The defense has NO rights here, and 100% liability for not getting in the way of the runner.

That's what I was looking for......defense has no case even if going after ball. Their argument was they were playing on the ball so they had the right and it was interference. While I wasn't sure about it I ruled on what I saw....didn't remember anything in rules about a right to go after a thrown ball, just a batted ball. Thanks guys...

Try this simple checklist.

1) Was a runner hindered or impeded in any way by a defensive player? If yes, then
2) Did the defensive player have possession of the ball? If no, then
3) Was the defensive player in the act of fielding a batted ball? In no, then
4) (NCAA ONLY) Did the ball arrive before the runner (about to receive)? If no, then
5) Did the runner do something specific and obvious that interferes with the fielder? If no, then

THIS IS OBSTRUCTION!!!