2016 NCAA Rule Change: OBS - "About to Receive" vs. "In the act of Catching"

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by jmkupka

"the defender should still be protected from obstruction if the ball is still right there and her efforts are to control the ball, and not specifically to hold the runner there until she can retrieve it."

Steve, wouldn't that imply (the lack of) intent to obstruct, which is not a criteria in determining OBS?

My "intent" is to address and judge the action, not the "intent". If actual possession is not required under NCAA if the defender is in the act of catching, then the act of securing possession of a ball that is trapped or laying "right there" is effectively the same concept. The separate (and assumed primary) act of holding off the runner in order to retrieve the ball as the act judged by the umpire, well, that should be ruled obstruction.

I know, it is not as black and white as "in possession" or not; but it is the continuing philosophy of the rules committee (or so I am told) to not penalize legitimate defensive play that they want umpires to recognize. They want the defender to have some "right" to occupy that space in the correct circumstance. It's defining what they want in a manner that is or can be recognized identically by all, that is the problem.