interference or obstruction?

[gdthompson]

A similar situation happened to my daughters 12U travel team during a USSSA tournament this year. Runners on 2nd and 3rd, our SS was attempting to play a line drive and had to stop to avoid hitting the runner coming from second base who was a very big girl. Obvious interference? The umpire called obstruction on our SS. The run scored and we lost 4-3. The umpire stated that the ball was not playable by our shortstop.....WTF?

 

[MTR]

A similar situation happened to my daughters 12U travel team during a USSSA tournament this year. Runners on 2nd and 3rd, our SS was attempting to play a line drive and had to stop to avoid hitting the runner coming from second base who was a very big girl. Obvious interference? The umpire called obstruction on our SS. The run scored and we lost 4-3. The umpire stated that the ball was not playable by our shortstop.....WTF?

WTF do you mean WTF? You saw it one way, the umpire saw it another way. Simply moving to make a play on a ball doesn't mean the player had a viable play. I used to play with a SS who went after any ball, hit between F4 & F5, even dive for a ball 10'-12' away from where the player landed. Without seeing it, no one here can give you a valid response.

 

[Mike]

SS promptly charges the ball and is fielding the ball basically right in the base line and is steamrolled by the advancing runner.... what's the call?

When a fielder, a runner and the ball all meet at the same time and a collision is unavoidable it is commonly called a "wreck".

Has any blue on here ever made that call? or is it always int. or obs?

 

[obbay]

In your scenario, it sounds like the runner did what was permissible, proceed behind the fielder to avoid INT and the fielder missed the ball ran into the runner. Unless the runner's actions were intentional, I don't see an act of INT on behalf of the runner UNLESS the ball was right there, not heading away from the fielder.

I was simplifying the description to make the point that this Umpire had simplified his decision making process to a black and white, "i-will-always-call-it -this-way" scenario. I didn't think it was interference but that's the way it was called. In actuality, the SS started out inside the baseline and was running back through the baseline (toward OF) when the collision happened. she was out of position to play that particular hit and was just chasing it. Umpire sees interference, I did not.

last week I had an umpire tell me that because the fielder or runner stopped to avoid the collision, there was no interference or obstruction- a practice by Umpires that has been noted on this board in the past as being more likely to happen than not .

 

[Mylil32]

This is exactly how my DD's team won the Middle School Championship last year. Interference on the runner and it was the 3rd out of the last inning.

The losers are still crying about it, but it was the right call.

 

[gdthompson]

I wasn't asking for a "valid response" I was relating a situation that occured. The ball was clearly playable. The play may not have been interference but certainly was not obstruction as she was making an initial play on a batted ball. Thanks for the "when I used to play" story.

 

[MaverickAH]

When a fielder, a runner and the ball all meet at the same time and a collision is unavoidable it is commonly called a "wreck".

Has any blue on here ever made that call? or is it always int. or obs?

What you are describing would be the result of a thrown ball & not a batted ball. It is an occurrence that would be subject to the interpretation of the umpire. In most cases it's probably a no call but it could also be either obstruction or interference depending on the actions of those involved. Definitely a case by case call.

In the case of a batted ball, the defensive player always has the right of way.

 

[MTR]

I wasn't asking for a "valid response" I was relating a situation that occured. The ball was clearly playable. The play may not have been interference but certainly was not obstruction as she was making an initial play on a batted ball. Thanks for the "when I used to play" story.

The SS I played with was not unique. I still see it regularly on the fields in all games at all levels.

But the "initial play" isn't always the savior as many people who cite it believe it to be. You think it was playable from where you were standing. Maybe the umpire did not from his position. And if not, it can be OBS.

 

[Jquick823]

Unfortunately this is one of those calls that goes whichever way the ump wants it to go. I'm a new 3rd base coach for a TB team and i'm very "GREEN" when it comes to the depth of the rule book. However i figured obstruction/interference would be common sense and one of the easiest calls to make as an ump.

Situation: Runner going from second to third on a grounder to second, SS and 3B step in the running path so i send the runner awaiting an obstruction call (never heard a thing) so i had the runner scamble back to 3rd. I call time and ask the ump and she states that all she has to do is make a fist and extend her arm out at her side to signal obstruction and that it's my job to watch her for the call. I smile and nod appropriately, 2 batters later in an almost carbon copy play i'm looking for the fist extended and nothing. I ask the ump if there was obstruction and she said yes, i state that she didn't signal it and she says she did and that i missed it again. Still i'm a bit shocked at the overall lack of consistency at the "Paid" level of officiating.

 

[MTR]

Unfortunately this is one of those calls that goes whichever way the ump wants it to go. I'm a new 3rd base coach for a TB team and i'm very "GREEN" when it comes to the depth of the rule book. However i figured obstruction/interference would be common sense and one of the easiest calls to make as an ump.

Situation: Runner going from second to third on a grounder to second, SS and 3B step in the running path so i send the runner awaiting an obstruction call (never heard a thing) so i had the runner scamble back to 3rd. I call time and ask the ump and she states that all she has to do is make a fist and extend her arm out at her side to signal obstruction and that it's my job to watch her for the call. I smile and nod appropriately, 2 batters later in an almost carbon copy play i'm looking for the fist extended and nothing. I ask the ump if there was obstruction and she said yes, i state that she didn't signal it and she says she did and that i missed it again. Still i'm a bit shocked at the overall lack of consistency at the "Paid" level of officiating.

She it right and, BTW, you don't call time.