Follow
Donate to HeyBucket.com - Amount:

Welcome Anonymous !

Your Fastpitch Softball Bible
 

The Umpire Corner

Obstruction during a pickle...

Rule question? Get it answered here.

by Columbro » Fri May 20, 2016 1:11 pm

I saw a sports clip that was played last night on the evening news. The visiting team was down by a run and it was top of the 7th with two outs. Here is the clip: http://www.kusi.com/clip/12450765/51916 ... hristian-4.

The runner was in a pickle and it looks like she ran into one of the fielders during the play. The blue did not rule obstruction but it looks like it should have been called. The reason I say this is because when the runner turned to run toward 2nd base, the fielder that the runner ran into did not have the ball and was not in the process of fielding the ball. So, I believe it was the fielders duty to get out of the base path. Am I wrong?
Otto von Bismarck — 'Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.'
Columbro
 
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2011 12:44 pm

by PDad » Fri May 20, 2016 2:16 pm

Getting an OBS call is one of the best ways to get out of a pickle. Fielders without the ball have to stay out of the runner's way and runners aren't constrained to a direct path, so that fielder should have left more room as a precaution when she passed by the runner.

The odd part is the runner went from facing away from the camera and the contact was on the camera side. It looks like the runner stuck her head out to initiate contact and that may have been why they didn't call OBS.

FWIW, the announcer said Tigers thought she should have gotten a "free base" and I think an OBS call there would have placed her at 1B.
User avatar
PDad
Premium Member
Premium Member
 
Posts: 3439
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2009 4:52 pm

by Comp » Sat May 21, 2016 3:41 pm

I dont see any intent by the runner to try and draw contact, she was just trying to see where both the ball was and the other defender at the same time. I would have called obstruction and I think the coach has a legitimate gripe. And, obstruction is never a free base, at the conclusion of play the obstructed runner is simply put on the base the umpire judges they would have reached if not obstructed.
Comp
 
Posts: 589
Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:27 am

by MTR » Sun May 22, 2016 12:14 pm

Hell must be freezing over as I agree with PDad. IMJ, it seemed as if the defender released the ball and moved to her left. The runner, reversing direction looks as if her feet are pointed toward 2B, but, at least to me, seems to lean to her right into the defender.
MTR
 
Posts: 2317
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 5:21 am


Return to The Umpire Corner

cron