Another OBS-INT Question

going2 said:

Less than 2 out, a team faces the dreaded First and Third situation. Batter takes a pitch, the runner at first breaks for second, the runner at third holds. C throws to SS covering second. The runner from first stops short of second base out of reach of SS, who starts walking the runner back towards first. SS holds the ball in her throwing hand and turns her head to watch if the runner on third breaks for the plate. She doesn't see the runner from first change direction and head towards second.

The runner brushes the SS glove side as she runs by without ever touching the ball. Is this obstruction or interference or no call? My guess would be no call. The SS is not making a play on the ball so there is no interference, she has the ball so she is allowed on the baseline so no obstruction.

If the runner doesn't touch SS as she goes by, is she out of the base line? Since the SS is checking the runner and not making an attempt to tag the runner they runner is not out of the baseline. So in the end sound like we have a bunch of nothing.

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going2 said:

I thought the call would be obstruction. SS has the ball and can block access to the base. if a runner contacts SS, the runner obstructed. Whether SS is looking at the runner or not should have no bearing on the call. the out of baseline plays seems to me to be 50-50. I agree that 3 feet is a lot of space but if it is a one umpire game, blue should move up the third base line because there may be two calls to make. From there it may be difficult to determine if the runner is 2' or 4' out of the baseline.

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Comp said:

A fielder in possession of the ball cannot be guilty of obstruction. What has the runner interfered with? Baseline has nothing to do with the call, a baseline is a straight line between 2 bases. The rule is 3' out of the basepath, and that is from the current position of the runner to the base they are attempting to reach. 3' is a fair amount of distance, and, it is in reference to avoiding a fielder attempting to make a tag. From you description of the play, does not sound like the fielder was attempting a tag at that moment as they were looking at the other runner. There is nothing to call, just good base running and poor play by the defense.

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wjdempkowski said:

Just want to clarify what a basepath is.

A basepath is determined at the time a defender tries to tag a runner. The basepath is not the direct line between two bases. The basepath is determined by the runner at the time a tag is attempted on that runner, and it is a direct line from the runner to the base the runner is headed to. The runner now has three feet to either side of this basepath to avoid the tag.

To note: If the runner changes direction, as in a "pickle", the basepath changes every time the runner changes directions.

https://www.umpirebible.com/rules/basepath.htm

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