Good call or OBS?

[lvtwft]

R1 on 3b, after pitch gets a decent lead. R1 realizes throw coming, gets dirty head first. Hits 3b feet/legs which are in baseline and impedes her from getting to the bag. 3b did not have ball yet when R1 slides into her. She never reached 3b and was called out. Good call or OBS?

[EzOut.EzOut]

Did R1 have a clear path back to any part of the base?

[lvtwft]

Maybe the outside part, but not much.

[okla21fan]

NCAA rules set: probably a 'good call' as NCAA still includes, 'about to receive the ball' to benefit the defense.

ASA rule set: probably had to see the play, but if the fielder is not in possession of the ball, and impedes the runner (in any way), it is OBS.

[Comp]

Under ASA rules, if the fielder was blocking access to any part of the bag without posession of the ball, it should be called obstruction.

[Bretman]

Leaving access to "some part of the base" doesn't cut it. The runner gets to choose which part of the base she wants to go for and, if that is blocked by a fielder without the ball, it's obstruction.

Not sure where this "some part of the base" thing is coming from, but I hear that a lot. The only game I know of that uses that terminology in their obstruction rule is high school baseball.

[ajaywill]

NCAA rules set: probably a 'good call' as NCAA still includes, 'about to receive the ball' to benefit the defense.

ASA rule set: probably had to see the play, but if the fielder is not in possession of the ball, and impedes the runner (in any way), it is OBS.

"About to receive" is defined as the ball being closer to the fielder than the runner when the runner is first impeded. Obviously, if there was contact between the runner and the fielder before the fielder had the ball, the runner has been impeded and the ball is not closer to the fielder than the runner is.

This play sounds like obstruction under any rules code I am aware of.

[okla21fan]

NCAA rules set: probably a 'good call' as NCAA still includes, 'about to receive the ball' to benefit the defense.

ASA rule set: probably had to see the play, but if the fielder is not in possession of the ball, and impedes the runner (in any way), it is OBS.

"About to receive" is defined as the ball being closer to the fielder than the runner when the runner is first impeded. Obviously, if there was contact between the runner and the fielder before the fielder had the ball, the runner has been impeded and the ball is not closer to the fielder than the runner is.

This play sounds like obstruction under any rules code I am aware of.

That is what was taught in ASA clinics when 'about to receive' was in the rule set, but I don't see your definition in my NCAA rule book. While what you say is one of the 'rules of thumb', on plays that the ball has never left the infield, 'about to receive' is just that, esp on the OP. I don't see many (if any) D1a blues calling OBS on a throw back from the catcher.

for what it is worth, ASA's attempt to 'vanilla' the rule book changed the way infielders played their positions. I have not seen that change at the NCAA level .....yet.

[tcannizzo]

for what it is worth, ASA's attempt to 'vanilla' the rule book changed the way infielders played their positions.

We used to teach "Block-Catch-Tag", now it is "Catch-Block-Tag".

[MTR]

for what it is worth, ASA's attempt to 'vanilla' the rule book changed the way infielders played their positions. I have not seen that change at the NCAA level .....yet.

For what it is worth, I believe NFHS & ISF eliminated the "about to receive" before ASA did.