Catcher Obstruction

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May 15, 2011
126
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NFHS rules. Runner from 2B comes to home plate. Home plate ump rules catcher obstructed runner. What is the penalty? Does the run count or is dead ball declared and runner sent back to 2B? Where is ruling found in NFHS rulebook? Thanks.
 
Jan 27, 2019
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Rule 8-4 Article 3b
Obstruction is a delayed dead ball. The play is called as it occurs. When playing action is complete dead ball is signaled. The obstructed runner is awarded any bases she would have reached in the umpire's judgment had there been no obstruction and all runners affected by the advancement of the obstructed runner are moved accordingly.
 
May 29, 2015
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Sorry ... why on earth would the runner be sent back? Are we talking about catcher obstruction (a very specific thing ... the catcher makes contact with the batter’s swing) or obstruction of a runner that happens to be on the catcher?

I’m assuming the latter by your description ...

NFHS (2016 ... that’s the most recent I have electronically to copy and paste from)

Rule 8 Batter-Runner and Runner
SECTION 4 RUNNERS ENTITLED TO ADVANCE
ART. 3 . . . A runner is entitled to advance without liability to be put out when:
b. a fielder not in possession of the ball or not making an initial play on a batted ball, impedes the progress of a runner or batter-runner who is legally running bases. Obstructed runners are still required to touch all bases in proper order, or they could be called out on a proper appeal by the defensive team. Should an act of interference occur following any obstruction, enforcement of the interference penalty would have precedence.


The runner would be awarded home ... with the limited details we have.

As WVSteven stated, the runner may be called out initially, then the umpire calls time to make the obstruction call and award bases.
 
Jun 19, 2019
60
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If it’s wrong to ask a question on a topic similar to to topic post let me know, sorry. Girl was stealing 3rd but catcher didn’t throw, third baseman covering bag so other coach had girl run into her so that obstruction was called and runner could come home. Do you automatically get next base or is it umpires judgement? I would think it been just staying at 3rd. Didn’t feel like it had anything to do with stopping runner from advancing home.
 
Apr 5, 2013
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Back on the dirt...
If it’s wrong to ask a question on a topic similar to to topic post let me know, sorry. Girl was stealing 3rd but catcher didn’t throw, third baseman covering bag so other coach had girl run into her so that obstruction was called and runner could come home. Do you automatically get next base or is it umpires judgement? I would think it been just staying at 3rd. Didn’t feel like it had anything to do with stopping runner from advancing home.
If it was just a straight steal of 3b, she should have just been awarded 3b. No automatic of next base.
 
Jun 19, 2019
60
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If it was just a straight steal of 3b, she should have just been awarded 3b. No automatic of next base.
I forget exactly how it went but something like that. Not sure when a player would get awarded if catcher has ball and it’s obvious she wouldn’t make it home.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
You said the catcher made no throw, so I am assuming F5 was just standing on 3B and the runner was not headed home. If F5 did not impede, hinder, or confuse the runner, there really was no obstruction. If F5 was not blocking the base, there really was no obstruction. (Then you said the runner was coming home, so I am confused.)

If the coach “had the runner run into the fielder” we could be looking at malicious contact and some ejections. Contact is not necessary for obstruction and no coach should ever teach or encourage that behavior.

Obstruction (in softball) is NOT an automatic award of any bases. (In NFHS baseball it is, even if you were going back.)

In short, it prevents a runner from being called out between the two bases where the obstruction occurred. The award is whatever the umpire believes would have happened had there been no interference. So yes, in theory a girl could be sent back to the last base she touched. You also could have an obstruction and still have the runner called out.

(I am using some verbiage from other organizations, but the concepts are the same.)
 
Jun 19, 2019
60
8
You said the catcher made no throw, so I am assuming F5 was just standing on 3B and the runner was not headed home. If F5 did not impede, hinder, or confuse the runner, there really was no obstruction. If F5 was not blocking the base, there really was no obstruction. (Then you said the runner was coming home, so I am confused.)

If the coach “had the runner run into the fielder” we could be looking at malicious contact and some ejections. Contact is not necessary for obstruction and no coach should ever teach or encourage that behavior.

Obstruction (in softball) is NOT an automatic award of any bases. (In NFHS baseball it is, even if you were going back.)

In short, it prevents a runner from being called out between the two bases where the obstruction occurred. The award is whatever the umpire believes would have happened had there been no interference. So yes, in theory a girl could be sent back to the last base she touched. You also could have an obstruction and still have the runner called out.

(I am using some verbiage from other organizations, but the concepts are the same.)
So the runner only gets a base if umpire believes that runner would have been there if it weren’t for obstruction? So let’s say there was a hard ground ball to third and runner doesn’t get a good jump from short on a force play, SS gets in way of runner. Is that obstruction, when the umpire knew F5 was going to get out anyway ?
 
May 6, 2015
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So the runner only gets a base if umpire believes that runner would have been there if it weren’t for obstruction? So let’s say there was a hard ground ball to third and runner doesn’t get a good jump from short on a force play, SS gets in way of runner. Is that obstruction, when the umpire knew F5 was going to get out anyway ?


i believe if F5 tagged base (on a force) prior to obstruction, then runner would still be out if SS was in way, there can be no obstruction, runner was already out.
 

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