- May 29, 2015
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So here is the rest (the penalty portion):
PENALTY: (Art. 3b) When any obstruction occurs (including a rundown), the umpire will signal a delayed dead ball. The ball will remain live. a. If the obstructed runner is put out prior to reaching the base that would have been reached had there not been obstruction, a dead ball is called and the obstructed runner and each other runner affected by the obstruction will be awarded the base or bases which would have been reached, in the umpire's judgment, had there not been obstruction. An obstructed runner may not be called out between the two bases where she was obstructed.
The runner cannot be called out between the two bases, that is the protection she gets. She does not automatically get awarded extra bases. So in your second scenario, the runner was obstructed so she cannot be called out.
Timing is crucial ... did the force out happen before the SS getting in the way? If the force out happened first, you cannot have obstruction since the runner was retired.
If the obstruction happened before the force out ... the umpire should signal the delayed dead ball obstruction as soon as it occurs. As soon as the force out happens, the umpire should call the runner out, immediately kill the play, then award the runner third base on the obstruction. Why third base when she wasn’t even there? Because she was forced by the trailing runners. Does it matter that she would not have made it without the obstruction? In THIS case, no because of the force. SS just cost her team an out or possibly two if they could have turned a double play.
PENALTY: (Art. 3b) When any obstruction occurs (including a rundown), the umpire will signal a delayed dead ball. The ball will remain live. a. If the obstructed runner is put out prior to reaching the base that would have been reached had there not been obstruction, a dead ball is called and the obstructed runner and each other runner affected by the obstruction will be awarded the base or bases which would have been reached, in the umpire's judgment, had there not been obstruction. An obstructed runner may not be called out between the two bases where she was obstructed.
The runner cannot be called out between the two bases, that is the protection she gets. She does not automatically get awarded extra bases. So in your second scenario, the runner was obstructed so she cannot be called out.
Timing is crucial ... did the force out happen before the SS getting in the way? If the force out happened first, you cannot have obstruction since the runner was retired.
If the obstruction happened before the force out ... the umpire should signal the delayed dead ball obstruction as soon as it occurs. As soon as the force out happens, the umpire should call the runner out, immediately kill the play, then award the runner third base on the obstruction. Why third base when she wasn’t even there? Because she was forced by the trailing runners. Does it matter that she would not have made it without the obstruction? In THIS case, no because of the force. SS just cost her team an out or possibly two if they could have turned a double play.
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