Obstruction Rule

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KAT

May 13, 2008
92
0
Per ASA, again, contact is not necessary for there to be obstruction. If the ball was not on the way to the catcher and the catch not immanent, she should not have been in the base path. The runner should not even have to step around her, if she does have to step around, it is obstruction.

If the umpire signals for an obstruction, the runner can not be put out between the base she left, and the base she is going to. Even if the umpire feels she would not have made it anyway, by rule she is returned to the base she came from.

This is what hte head umpire from our area says.....no need to job around the catcher...without a ball she is obstruction
 

MTR

Jun 22, 2008
3,438
48
This is what hte head umpire from our area says.....no need to job around the catcher...without a ball she is obstruction

Absolutely, but remember, that doesn't give the runner a free pass to crash into the defender.
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,731
113
Looks like runner broke stride as catcher moved into basepath and not sure catcher ever actually has ball cant tell when or if she ever catches it. I have obstruction.
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
[hijack] You've got to click on the fast forward button next to "kenkrause" in MTR's quote in the last post on the previous page! Flashback to a thread in '08 about a Venezuelan pitcher asking for advice on a curve and rise! [/hijack]
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
I haven't seen a resident ump here for rule questions ...

You haven't looked very hard - LOL. ;)

Comp and MTR (plus a few others) are umpires and regular contributors to DFP who have shown excellent knowledge of the rules of the game.
 
Sep 14, 2011
768
18
Glendale, AZ
Looks like runner broke stride as catcher moved into basepath and not sure catcher ever actually has ball cant tell when or if she ever catches it. I have obstruction.

I've watched it a few times and didn't see the runner breaking stride.....

As Comp said, from this video, we can't see when, if ever, the catcher gets possession of the ball, so it's impossible to say whether this was obstruction or not.

From watching the umpire, I see him move his head as the ball is getting to the catcher, then the DDB signal is made after the collision. My assumption is that the catcher did not have possession of the ball at the point of the collision where the runner was impeded on her path to the plate.
 

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