Hope she was ok....I think an even worse slide. A slide by with a hand drag keeps the baserunner out of reach and there's no collision. .....that's just my opinion....I could be wrong.
catcher obstruction
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Hope she was ok....I think an even worse slide. A slide by with a hand drag keeps the baserunner out of reach and there's no collision. .....that's just my opinion....I could be wrong.
I wrote this to show how ridiculous the obstruction rule is with the quality of umpires in softball. Day before yesterday runner between second and third nearly clipped my SS by running in front of her. SS could not get to the ball because of her. I called out to blue, did you see any interference there? His response: Runner is entitled to the base line, there was no contact. I see this kind of umpiring in nearly every game. I meet with local coaches who lament how umpires never know the rules and are fed up with no interference or obstruction calls. I've NEVER seen an umpire call obstruction when a runner has slowed or adjusted path due to defender blocking a bag. It might get called if there is a collision at the bag prior to ball getting there.
A few weeks ago, while waiting for another team to finish so we could practice, I watched a coach have 2nd baseman setup in the baseline for throw downs. As he was packing up, I asked if he was worried about obstruction calls. He said that it never happens. Obstruction rules are a complete joke. I have seen a few interference calls, but that umpire the other day really set me off with his entitled to the base path remark.
And, by the way, your rude response does nothing to help me appreciate umpires in any way! How about teaching umpires to call a game?!
A few weeks ago, while waiting for another team to finish so we could practice, I watched a coach have 2nd baseman setup in the baseline for throw downs. As he was packing up, I asked if he was worried about obstruction calls. He said that it never happens. Obstruction rules are a complete joke. I have seen a few interference calls, but that umpire the other day really set me off with his entitled to the base path remark.
And, by the way, your rude response does nothing to help me appreciate umpires in any way! How about teaching umpires to call a game?!
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I may get blasted for this opinion, but that's ok. I personally do not think you should be allowed to block any base or plate. If we are going with safety, then any attempt to block the plate or a base should be obstruction. I think the NCAA is trying to take the contact out of the play at the plate, they are just making it way to hard to call. If any body part of the the defensive player prevents the runner from making it to the plater/base(other than the glove with the ball in it), the runner is safe. Pretty simple. If you are going to allow blocking of the plate/base, then simply change the rule back to the way it was for years in baseball. Block it all you want, but the runner can run over you. I guess what I am saying is, if we are doing it for the sake of safety, then go all the way. Too much grey area for umpires to make calls with the game moving as fast as it is.
- Jun 22, 2008
- 3,438
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I wholeheartedly agree and have spent more than a decade doing that at the local and regional level and anywhere else I could help. The rule is damn near perfect for the cause and effect of the play. Interference is a bit more difficult, and some umpires have difficulty simply because they overthink it. The coaches, in many cases don't understand either and in many cases do not care to learn. I don't know how many times I've had coaches base an argument on what they saw on TV (MLB) the night before or what happened when they were in Little League. While amusing at time, it is pretty pitiful.
6 weeks since that play happened. She's still recovering from the strained MCL sustained from the leg getting twisted on impact, and hasn't been behind the plate since. I have little doubt that the runner went in with intent to collide (based on more factors than just this incident). It was a hard-nosed approach by a runner with a hard-nosed attitude. These things happen. My DD put herself in a vulnerable position by not following the proper setup procedure for that kind of play and is paying the price.
In the video i don't get the impression of malicious intent there.
Especially given the age of the players involved.
The Runner took a direct path, reasonably along the chalked baseline, and slid hard into home plate.
The Runner's left leg does appear to elevate a bit, but hard to say this was intentional.
The catcher actually DID set up clear of the base path in fair territory,
but her left leg extended backwards into the runner's path just before contact,
maybe to balance herself as she fielded the throw?
The catcher's leg moving rearward into the runner's path doesn't look like it was an attempt to block.
An unfortunate play for your DD. Sorry she was injured.
Maybe it's just the way I instruct players on that kind of play at home, but staying outside the baseline and a hook slide to the back of the plate has a lot higher chance of being safe on that kind of play. Less chance of injury for all involved, too. As I said, my impression of this player is based on more than just this one play. That said, this is to be expected in 14U TB, and adjustments need to be made to deal with it.
My DD's biggest failure was turning her body, hips, and leg to the direction of the throw coming from F3. An impact to the side of the knee is a LOT higher of an injury risk than one head-on into the leg guard. Keep your toes pointed at the runner.
We talk about this with our players all the time. The goal is the backside of the plate on a tag play....if it's a force you have to get to the plate. My opinion on the video is that the runner is on the inside of the chalk line, which in my opinion is a feeding into a tag play, so either she's a bad base runner or she was looking to break up a play instead of avoiding the tag.
It was a tag situation at the end of an attempted 1-3-2 DP. I agree that she was looking to break up the play. To be safe, not to prevent a subsequent play. It happens. Catchers need to pay attention to the details in their setup for this play to minimize the chance of injury. My DD failed to follow proper setup procedures.
- May 19, 2016
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Setting up this way makes sense to me to avoid injury, but how does the catcher catch a ball that is slightly beyond her reach as she stretches her mitt across her body? -- assume even though she will reach as far as possible across her body while keeping toes/chest facing the runner that she would still need another 1-12 inches to catch the ball. Just sort of scooch backwards while remaining in the same toes/chest facing the runner position? In a bang-bang play it seems it would be instinctual to want to turn the knee the way your daughter did to allow her to extend her glove those extra inches in the shortest amount of time. Seems like it would just be a hard thing to resist doing subconsciously - perhaps a lot of reps would ingrain the toes/chest forward way, though.
