Interference?

[Sweet Lou]

Doesn't the SS have a right to make a play on the ball?

Probably covered but the SS has a right to make a play on a batted ball, it does not extend to receiving a throw from another fielder.

 

[CPEM]

THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT OF CONTACT FOR OBSTRUCTION TO BE RULED.

Don't forget to include:

JUST BECAUSE OBSTRUCTION WAS CALLED, IT DOESN'T MEAN THE RUNNER IS AUTOMATICALLY AWARDED THE NEXT BASE.

I got that one this past weekend, base hit to CF, batter-runner rounding 1B was obstructed by F3 as F8 was throwing the ball in to F6 at 2B, coach saw my signal and sent his player to second where she was tagged out 15-20 feet short of 2B. I put her back on 1B and coach was absolutely, positively sure that her player gets an automatic base award.

 

[CoachJD]

THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT OF CONTACT FOR OBSTRUCTION TO BE RULED.

You're not wrong, but I have literally never seen obstruction called without contact (and usually players/coaches having to scream "obstruction!" so umpires actually remember the rule exists).

 

[djcarter1966]

Hey, I've got plenty of clueless coach stories to go around.

No one's denying that there are bad umpires out there. No one's denying that umpires get it wrong, and that sometimes, we can and will miss calls. It sucks, but it does happen. Those of us who care about our profession and care about the young athletes out there will do our best to make sure that doesn't happen, but we're not perfect. Nobody is.

What I'm saying is that if you ask the umpire if they saw the runner had to hit the brakes, and IF the umpire says yes, then your next question is "why was the obstruction not called?" And if they don't give a good answer, you have perfect grounds for a protest. They've admitted they've seen the runner get obstructed, and they did not apply the rule correctly.

If a Tournament Director doesn't back you on that one, then you probably don't want to play their tournaments anymore, as they're just collecting your money.

But seriously, don't have the players go through the fielder. Are you really suggesting that it's okay for a player to run into or bump an opponent, just because of where she's standing?

No need for big RED letters but YES. That is why the rule is there...if it were not OK for a player to bump into an opponent because of where she was standing there would be no need for the rule. I am not ever suggesting to be malicious but take this example...runner is trying to stretch it to a double SS covers ball is coming into second SS puts her leg down in front of the base is the runner really supposed to slide short of the base so they don't contact the fielder then after a second the ball comes and she is tagged out. The runner can legitimately claim she was obstructed but without contact (sliding into her leg) exactly how many umpires are going to call her safe?

Again in your fantasy world obstruction is call in the real world she is called out 99 times out of 100! and even WITH contact you odds might only be 50/50 at best.

 

[MT 73]

Softball rules (unlike some baseball rules) don't say that the fielder has to give the runner "part of the base" or "some access" to the base. The runner gets to choose her basepath, not the fielder.

The fact that the runner didn't slide is irrelevant. Runners are never required by rule to slide in any circumstance.

Did this fielder have possession of the ball? Was she in the act of fielding a batted ball? Those are the only two protections offered a fielder and those are the two things that determine whether it's obstruction or interference.

If you believe this was interference, which rule would you apply to justify calling it that?

As long as the runner was legally running the bases and the contact was from her legitimate attempt to achieve the base, then I'm calling obstruction. The runner has the right of way on this play. The only other consideration would be if the runner did something "extra" like alter her path to purposely go after the fielder, or lowered her shoulder into her, or somehow swiped or swung at the fielder. Then you might have an ejection at the end of the play.

After the game I went to the rule book and read the crash section, which was the reason for my confusion.
As it turns out a crash penalty only comes into play if the fielder has the ball and is waiting to make a tag.
And thanks to all for the excellent advice.
I had a long conversation with our rules interpreter this afternoon and he said the exact things that you all have posted.
Live and learn.

 

[Sparky Guy]

Something similar happened to us this weekend. Our runner didn't slam into her but had to run around her (fielder was on the front side of the bag). Umpire called obstruction and awarded 3B even without contact. That's actually the first time I've seen one award it without contact though I know contact is not supposed to be required. Our girls will NOT run into fielders. They refuse despite having permission to do so if they're in the way. lol

You have to teach them how to do it. Have them do it at practice one day. Teach them they do not have to level the opponent. Just bump them head enough to make sure the umpire sees it. For a lot of younger girls physical contact is not within their nature. It is a skill that needs to be learned.

 

[MTR]

You're not wrong, but I have literally never seen obstruction called without contact (and usually players/coaches having to scream "obstruction!" so umpires actually remember the rule exists).

Then you are 1) blind, 2) aren't paying attention, 3) have guys pretending to be umpires or 4) arrogant "umpires" who place their opinion above that of the players and the game

BTW, I would estimate that I called OBS more than 100 times a year and contact was rare.

 

[NCASAUmp]

No need for big RED letters but YES. That is why the rule is there...if it were not OK for a player to bump into an opponent because of where she was standing there would be no need for the rule. I am not ever suggesting to be malicious but take this example...runner is trying to stretch it to a double SS covers ball is coming into second SS puts her leg down in front of the base is the runner really supposed to slide short of the base so they don't contact the fielder then after a second the ball comes and she is tagged out. The runner can legitimately claim she was obstructed but without contact (sliding into her leg) exactly how many umpires are going to call her safe?

Again in your fantasy world obstruction is call in the real world she is called out 99 times out of 100! and even WITH contact you odds might only be 50/50 at best.

Big red letters weren't mine. Wrong post.

Again, I'm not talking about the unavoidable contact. Sometimes, contact will happen, and your scenario describes exactly that. And yes, your scenario is obstruction, and when I conduct rules clinics, I have one video example of obstruction that matches your scenario almost perfectly (except it's the catcher blocking the plate). That's what I'm teaching my umpires to look for.

Please read my words carefully here. If a runner has the opportunity to go around a fielder to avoid contact, she should. A good umpire will see that and make the appropriate call. But if I see a runner intentionally bump a fielder just because she's in her way, that's where I have a big problem. There's a mentality that's bled over from the old school baseball side of things where if a fielder is standing in the runner's way, it's okay for the runner to "send them a message."

Perhaps you and I are saying the same thing here, but not realizing it.

 

[NCASAUmp]

You have to teach them how to do it. Have them do it at practice one day. Teach them they do not have to level the opponent. Just bump them head enough to make sure the umpire sees it. For a lot of younger girls physical contact is not within their nature. It is a skill that needs to be learned.

I wouldn't recommend this. If I saw this, I would warn the player at a minimum, eject if somehow she gets injured. Even a light bump can have bad consequences.

If anything, I'd recommend she call out "move, move, move!" just before reaching the fielder to draw my attention.

 

[NCASAUmp]

You're not wrong, but I have literally never seen obstruction called without contact (and usually players/coaches having to scream "obstruction!" so umpires actually remember the rule exists).

Don't take this the wrong way, seeing as I don't know you...

Are you talking about rec league ball, or travel ball? If it's rec league, then yeah, you're going to find a grab bag of umpires - some know the rules, but many don't. Travel ball should have better umpires, but I've seen plenty of travel ball umpires who could use a rectal craniectomy.