Obstruction at Home 2.0

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Jun 9, 2009
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The opposition has girls at 2nd and 1st against us. Batter hits to out field. There is a throw home, but girl from 2nd scores. Ball gets by the catcher, pitcher is backing up. Catcher turns to get the ball from the pitcher. She is in the baseline as the runner rounds 3rd, runner comes a little over half way home then runs back to third because she is going to be out and it's not going to be close. Ump calls Obstruction and the run scores. I yell at the ump "Obstruction?! She never got within 15 feet of her! You can see where she turned around!" Which was true, you could see skid marks in the chalk.

His reply "Coach, your catcher was in the baseline without the ball. That's all that matters."

Is this true? I've looked at the NFHS rulebook and it's pretty general. I know there doesn't have to be contact, but doesn't there have to be some kind of proximity consideration or actual demonstrated hindrance?
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,731
113
Defensive players may be anywhere they like, but, they may not hinder the progress of a runner without possession of the ball. There is no proximity considerations, but from your description it seems to be pretty clear the runner turned around because they knew they were going to be out, not because a defensive player more than 15-30' away was in the baseline.
 
Jun 9, 2009
84
6
Defensive players may be anywhere they like, but, they may not hinder the progress of a runner without possession of the ball. There is no proximity considerations, but from your description it seems to be pretty clear the runner turned around because they knew they were going to be out, not because a defensive player more than 15-30' away was in the baseline.


Thanks for the prompt reply. This was exactly my issue, that she turned around because she knew she was going to be out, in fact, she was very nearly out returning to 3rd, on a throw FROM OUR CATCHER. There is no way that ump should have thought she would have been safe at home, which I believe is supposed to be a consideration, correct? He just acted like it was an automatic call, if you're in a baseline without the ball and there's a runner anywhere in the same baseline, they just get the base.
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,731
113
If obstruction is called, at the conclusion of play the obstructed runner and any other runners affected by the obstruction are awarded the base or bases they would have reached absent the obstruction. So in your situation, even if obstruction was a correct call the award is not automatically home. If the runner was obviously going to be out on a play at the plate, the runner should have been returned to 3rd, assuming they were actually obstructed.
 

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