USA Fastpitch Rules - Questions

[MTR]

USA obstruction defined as impedes progress of runner. Sounds physical to me.

It can be verbal, but too many people want to take it to the extreme. In the past, USA/ASA has noted a player should be able to recognize directions from their own coaches.

 

[The Man In Blue]

By rule, obstruction does not have to have contact. Says so in the USA Softball definition of obstruction.


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Obstruction and/or interference should NEVER require contact in any rule set. That’s how you get “Just run her over next time!”

And then ...

“Time! Let’s have a little talk coach ...”

 

[dmcwhinnie]

There is a case play in nfhs about verbal obstruction, but to the best of my memory in USA there is a case play in USA about a runner tagging up on a fly ball and a member of the defense yells go. The ruling is that the appeal for leaving before the catch would stand because the runner should recognize their coaches voice.

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I feel that's terrible. That's like the defense trying to imitate the snap count in a football game to confuse the offensive linemen. I don't think that it should be allowed.

 

[MTR]

I feel that's terrible. That's like the defense trying to imitate the snap count in a football game to confuse the offensive linemen. I don't think that it should be allowed.

Then I suppose you have a problem with a change-up, curve ball, feigning a bunt, calling for a cut and letting the ball go through?

 

[dmcwhinnie]

I have no problem with a change-up, curve ball, or faking a bunt. I don't know why you call for a cut and then let it go through. I'm not sure what you mean by calling for a cut and then letting it go through. Who's calling for the cut, the person that is covering the base that the ball is supposed to go to. If we wanted the ball to go through we wouldn't say anything if we wanted ti cut we would yell cut and then then the base that we want it thrown to. We never had a situation where we would yell cut and then expect it to go through. Maybe I'm not understanding what you're saying, but I never played on a team that did this and never coached a team that did this. Plus why is the defense yelling "go" to get the runner to leave early. If that's the reason I don't think it right. What do you think about having an infielder fake a tag to get a runner to slide. Here again, for younger players I definitely would not teach that. Younger players sometimes have not yet mastered how to slide and they might break their ankle. Maybe I'm just being too protective.

 

[The Man In Blue]

MTR keeps trying to equate unsporting acts to legal acts that may “deceive” the other team. He’s a very smart guy, but pay him no mind when he goes down that road.

A fake tag is obstruction by rule. No gray
(If anybody saw it in the Cubs game the other day, it is not obstruction in Major League Baseball.)

 

[dmcwhinnie]

Thank you. That clears things up for me.

 

[MTR]

MTR keeps trying to equate unsporting acts to legal acts that may “deceive” the other team. He’s a very smart guy, but pay him no mind when he goes down that road.

A fake tag is obstruction by rule. No gray
(If anybody saw it in the Cubs game the other day, it is not obstruction in Major League Baseball.)

Please note where I said anything about a fake tag not being obstruction

 

[The Man In Blue]

Please note where I said anything about a fake tag not being obstruction

Sorry MTR ... my comments were on two unrelated thoughts that dmcwhinnie had in the post. Didn’t mean to make it seem that you had commented on a fake tag.

 

[bmakj]

regarding protests, they should be like the replay flag in NFL. two strikes (original ruling upheld, ie coach protesting was wrong), and no more for the weekend. and a small fee (only if original ruling upheld) also keeps them honest, say $50 (think $100 is excessive, I never carry that much cash , DW wont let me)