obstruction on throw

Comp said:

NCAA has an about to receive rule. If the fielder is about to receive a thrown ball, they can legally block a base without possession of the ball. About to receive is defined as the ball being closer to the fielder than the runner.

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Thanks. ...

I was having that discussion with an opposing fan last week (never a good idea) who was claiming the catcher can block the plate to take a throw. I says, 'without the ball, she can't get in the runner's way.' She began looking around for a college coach to settle the argument. Just wanted to make sure that I was still correct. In this case, the ball was just leaving the fielder's hand, nowhere near the plate. Our runner knocked over the catcher, got ejected. Which she should have been, as it was unnecessary, but our coaches were questioning the umpire as to whether the run would count and pointed out that catcher illegally impeded her path.

The run counting is going to depend on what rule set you were playing under. ASA has no provisions for calling an out for unsportsmanlike conduct, so the run would count the runner would be ejected and the team would need a substitute to take that players place. USSSA and NFHS both have rules that malicious contact is an immediate dead ball, out and the runner ejected. In those rule sets the run would not count.

Comp said:

The run counting is going to depend on what rule set you were playing under. ASA has no provisions for calling an out for unsportsmanlike conduct, so the run would count the runner would be ejected and the team would need a substitute to take that players place. USSSA and NFHS both have rules that malicious contact is an immediate dead ball, out and the runner ejected. In those rule sets the run would not count.

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It was USSSA, so they made the right call.

Comp said:

NCAA has an about to receive rule. If the fielder is about to receive a thrown ball, they can legally block a base without possession of the ball. About to receive is defined as the ball being closer to the fielder than the runner.

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NCAA changed the verbiage in the obstruction rule this past season from "about to receive" to "in the act of catching" the ball. The interpretation is that the ball is entering the glove.

Ajaywill said:

NCAA changed the verbiage in the obstruction rule this past season from "about to receive" to "in the act of catching" the ball. The interpretation is that the ball is entering the glove.

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And it was so simple before.....