Obstruction in college (or any other rule set for that matter)?

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obbay

Banned
Aug 21, 2008
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Boston, MA
Watching LSU and Ole Miss play over the weekend. Ole Miss runner coming into the plate, LSU catcher is blocking the plate (leg down, obstructing access to the plate) while receiving the throw. runner slides, attempts to hit the back of the plate while catcher receives throw and tags runner out.

runner had to modify approach to the plate to get around the catcher but it couldn't be done. was this not obstruction?

commentators were gushing over what a great job she did blocking the plate. seems to me if this is allowed, then the runner should be allowed to crash the catcher who is blocking access.

also, can the runner attempt to slide in front of the catcher in her attempt to avoid a collision where the baseline is blocked by the catcher receiving the throw? (could get hit with the incoming throw, but the catcher is blocking her path before she has the ball)
 

MTR

Jun 22, 2008
3,438
48
Watching LSU and Ole Miss play over the weekend. Ole Miss runner coming into the plate, LSU catcher is blocking the plate (leg down, obstructing access to the plate) while receiving the throw. runner slides, attempts to hit the back of the plate while catcher receives throw and tags runner out.

runner had to modify approach to the plate to get around the catcher but it couldn't be done. was this not obstruction?

commentators were gushing over what a great job she did blocking the plate. seems to me if this is allowed, then the runner should be allowed to crash the catcher who is blocking access.

That is just a stupid comment

also, can the runner attempt to slide in front of the catcher in her attempt to avoid a collision where the baseline is blocked by the catcher receiving the throw? (could get hit with the incoming throw, but the catcher is blocking her path before she has the ball)

Not seeing the play I couldn't tell you whether it was OBS or not. Unlike in other rule sets, in NCAA, though the wording is a bit different, the defender can enter the base PATH is she is about to receive the ball or IOW, in the act of receiving the ball.
 

obbay

Banned
Aug 21, 2008
2,199
0
Boston, MA
. That is just a stupid comment

I'm just trying to understand what's allowed and what's not. A defender blocking a base when the throw to them is in the air is kind of difficult to work around
 
Last edited:
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
113
Well if runner would not CRASH but simply run as hard as they can down the line and slide hard feet first straight into the plate that would be 100% fine in any rule set I know, it is what happens nine times out of ten at second and third on tag plays so I'm not sure why home plate is not treated the same way by runners. Then if the catcher has the ball first they can place their glove down and tag the runner out if they don't have the ball getting their legs knocked out from under them is going to make it pretty hard to catch the ball and tag the runner and if the runner sliding that hard still does not reach the plate because it was blocked it's an easy obstruction call for the umpire.
 
Mar 15, 2014
191
18
Well if runner would not CRASH but simply run as hard as they can down the line and slide hard feet first straight into the plate that would be 100% fine in any rule set I know, it is what happens nine times out of ten at second and third on tag plays so I'm not sure why home plate is not treated the same way by runners. Then if the catcher has the ball first they can place their glove down and tag the runner out if they don't have the ball getting their legs knocked out from under them is going to make it pretty hard to catch the ball and tag the runner and if the runner sliding that hard still does not reach the plate because it was blocked it's an easy obstruction call for the umpire.
Making contact during a legal slide is OK.
 
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
113
and this is exactly what I don't get; if you are so late that the throw beats you and you are always trying to slide around the tag then you need to adjust your coaching as to when you send the runners home.

Now you can beat the throw then you can beat it with a good hard legal slide just like you do going into 2B or 3B.

I think a lot of third base coaches, me included, send the runner knowing that on a perfect throw the runner will be out but we are willing to chance that the throw will bounce, be late or off line and if it is off a little we think our runner will be safe...so we take the chance but you live with that you don't complain about obstruction...assuming the ball beats the runner
 
Last edited:
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
113
[MENTION=670]obbay[/MENTION] Can't watch the whole thing but it's up on youtube do you remember what inning it was?
 

obbay

Banned
Aug 21, 2008
2,199
0
Boston, MA
I'm sorry- senior moment /my bad! I was at work and was trying to bang out my question while I had a minute. What I described never hapoened. When I saw it on tv, it Reminded me that I am unclear on the whole receiving the throw/blocking the plate thing. I see it often where a player goes down on one knee, blocking the bag with their lower leg as they do so. At the plate, I hear coaches encouraging the catchers to block th plate, even though they don't have the ball.

So when I saw the play described in my post (Cox, top of 2) I was wondering if she hadn't been able to reach thru the catchers legs to tag the plate, and was otherwise blocked from touchng it before she was tagged out- would it hve been obstruction.

The answer you gave given me is it all depends on the situation- Which I get.i see that this doesn't lend itslf to a hypothetical question.
Thank you.
 

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