Obstruction - back to 3rd

[playball13]

Fed Rules: R1 on 3rd, 1 out.
BR hits ground ball to 2B. F4 throws home. F2 is blocking HP. R1 slows, PU left arms goes up, F2 receives ball and applies tag to late sliding R1 who is blocked from HP and never reaches the plate.
OBS was ruled but he put R1 back at 3B stating that "had there been no OBS the runner would have been out" so he is putting her at 3B.
Should R1 have been allowed to score or was protecting her back to 3B correct?

[Comp]

Obstruction is not an automatic base award. Once obstruction is indicated, the runner cannot be put out between the 2 bases where they were obstructed. If the umpire felt the runner would have been out regardless of the obstruction, they correct call is to put the runner back at the previous base.

[Iluvblue]

Thats a BS call. NEVER in my life and probably most of you as well can say they have ever seen a runner at 3rd break for home on a grounder to 2nd, have obstruction at the plate, and then blue returns runner to third.

I can not in any scenario see this play as described. If the runner was obstructed at the plate, and the catcher didnt have the ball, Im not sure how any umpire could possibly make that call and give his explanation.

Again, can an umpire explain it away like that?? Sure, but in reality, i can not imagine ANY good, quality umpire EVER making the call on a play as you described it. No way, no how.

( i just thought of a possible scenario) Age level and class of play may help.... I am guessing a 10u game, or a 12u rec game. i could MAYBE see something like that happening at that level I guess.

[okla21fan]

Guess you would just have to see the play. Yes, you are correct, 'as described' it is rarely called that way, but it is within the rule set for the umpire to call it the way he/she did, based on what he/she thought the result of the play would have been had there not been OBS.

Thats a BS call. NEVER in my life and probably most of you as well can say they have ever seen a runner at 3rd break for home on a grounder to 2nd, have obstruction at the plate, and then blue returns runner to third.

[playball13]

This was a HS game. Early season Tourney Championship in the late innings of a tied game.

[playball13]

Here is a picture of the action. Hard to see position of sliding player in relationship to plate but it looks like contact is made before ball arrives. Also looks like foot is on HP just under catchers towel.

[Iluvblue]

That pic backs up my claim... only it wasnt a 10u game, it was a 10u umpire.

If he calls obstruction on THIS play in the picture, she gets home. NO WAY ANYONE could argue otherwise.

This ump clearly knows not what he does.

Now whether or not it is obstruction??? i would say yes based upon this picture. And also keep in mind, contact does not need to be made in order for an umpire to call obstruction.


And no, I dont really think I need to see the play. If the kid was that slow that she wouldnt have scored anyways, we probably dont have obstruction at all, we just have an out. If the girl was close enough to the catcher for the blue to call obstruction, then she is close enough to have scored, and no way in hell gets sent back to third.

That picture only clarifies what i thought already... blown call. Not a.... "well you would need to see it to really know what the umpire was doing " EXCUSE for a bad call.

[aformrduner]

The runner obviously has a clear path to the plate through the catcher's legs, how is she being obstructed?

I agree! The old catcher in me shakes my head 90% of the time I see this rule called in games.

[Iluvblue]

I like that one..... that is a sure fire out for a blue... hey, her legs were open, she had a path that was 8 inches wide to reach home:)

[Comp]

Its usually the coaches claiming the runner had easy access to the base through the legs of their defenender you just called obstruction on. Just finished 16/18B ASA western nationals and couldnt believe some of the arguments I got about why I couldnt call obstruction.

F3 is planting her foot directly in front of 1st base on every pick off attempt. Coach, "you cant call obstruction on that, the runner can easily reach around her leg".

Another team, F3 straddling the bag on every pick off attempt. Coach, "thats not obstruction, she is giving her the entire front edge of the bag".

3rd team, F6 standing directly in the base path on a steal of 2nd on a passed ball and no throwdown. Runner tries to round the bag and runs face first into F6. Coach, "how can you call that obstruction, there was no play being made on the runner, there has to be a play to be obstruction".