How do you determine the difference between making initial play on the ball and awaiting a throw? In other words, ball hit to outfield, clean single, play at third, can third baseman obstuct ( block ) the base or runner while ball is almost to her glove? I sometimes hear she did not obstuct because she was attempting to make a play, but not in possesion of ball.
Making an obstruction call?
- Thread starter blighdog
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In ASA and Fed, the fielder must have the ball to block a base from a runner. NCAA rules still have the "about to receive" wording in their OBS rule. I'm guessing this is what you mean by "attempting to make a play". "About to receive" is defined as the ball being closer to the fielder than the runner is.
Blocking a base is not, in and of itself, obstruction.
For ASA and FED (HS) rules, two things must happen to have obstruction:
1. The fielder does not have the ball. This is black and white, the fielder either has the ball or doesn't.
2. The runner must be hindered by the presence of the fielder without the ball.
If both of these things do not happen, you don't have obstruction. Period.
For ASA and FED (HS) rules, two things must happen to have obstruction:
1. The fielder does not have the ball. This is black and white, the fielder either has the ball or doesn't.
2. The runner must be hindered by the presence of the fielder without the ball.
If both of these things do not happen, you don't have obstruction. Period.
Had this scenario last night: ASA rules, 10u. R1 on 3rd. WP gets away from F2 to her right. R1 breaks for home, and F1 runs to cover home. F1 sets up straddling the 3B baseline, approximately 3 feet up the line, turns her back on R1, and bends over at the waist and basically stuck her butt out at the runner. She starts calling for the ball, which F2 was in the process of retrieving. R1 is coming in and I see her slow down as she tries to decide what to do. She tries to slide and ends up taking out F1. It appeared that she tried sliding around to the outside right of F1, and F1 moved in that direction at the same time. At the same moment that R1 slides and makes contact with F1, F1 gains possession of the ball. Her back was still to R1 and the impact causes her arm and glove to swing backwards and tag R1 prior to R1 touching home. I killed the play and had the DC check on F1.
My ruling: I ruled obstruction on F1 as she set up on baseline without possession of the ball and hindered R1 in her attempt to advance home. This happened before impact and before F1 was in possession of the ball.
Thoughts?
My ruling: I ruled obstruction on F1 as she set up on baseline without possession of the ball and hindered R1 in her attempt to advance home. This happened before impact and before F1 was in possession of the ball.
Thoughts?
- Jun 22, 2008
- 3,438
- 48
If you are referring to ASA or NFHS, you are hearing wrong. Even in NCAA, at some point the thrown ball must get closer to the fielder than the runner. Simply waiting on the ball is NOT an allowance to impede the runner.
At this point, you have Obstruction
What did you do with the runner? Award home or send her back to third?
You got the obstruction call correct, but when the runner was tagged, you have to put her somewhere.
I awarded home as that was where the obstruction occurred and that was the base she was attempting to reach when obstruction occurred. Had she been retreating to third when obstruction occurred, then I would have awarded her third.
I do ASA only at this point, but I'm always interested in how other rulesets operate. If I am understanding this correctly, in those rulesets that allow a fielder to obstruct while in the act of catching a thrown ball, they can only BEGIN obstructing when the ball is closer to them than the runner is? They cannot obstruct at the moment the ball is thrown, they can only obstruct when the ball is closer than the runner.
- Jun 22, 2008
- 3,438
- 48
Speaking ASA
While that can certainly be a consideration, that shouldn't be the reason for the award. The runner could have been moving toward home, but would have been dead out without the OBS. Being obstructed is not a free pass to the next base. You should award the base the runner would have attained safely had the OBS not occurred. Returning the runner to 3B should not be discounted if it is obvious to the umpire there wasn't even a remote chance the runner would have scored absent the OBS.
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Making an obstruction call
YES ! your call was correct 100%. but what bothers me about this whole obstrution call !! WHY is the pitcher 3 FT DOWN, THE BASE LINE BY HOME PLATE, AND ,ON THE BASELINE ????? TRYING TO MAKE A PLAY ON A GIRLS RUNNING FULL SPEED COMING HOME TO SCORE AND WHICH IS COMING IN HARD AND DOWN SLIDING !!( WELL HOPEFULLY)!! DID THE COACHS EVERY HEAR OF TRYING TO PROTECT THERE PITCHERS!!! LOSING ANY PLAYER HURTS BUT U CANT MAKE A GREAT OR GOOD PITCHER BY PRACTING A NEW POSTION IN A FEW DAYS!!! ALL MY PITCHERS ON MY 10U TEAM HAVE BEEN PRACTICING DAILY FROM TRYOUTS SINCE AUG '12. IF I LOST ANYONE OF MY PITCHERS SHAME ON ME FOR NOT SHOWING THE RIGHT WAY TO PLAY A PASS BALL BEHIND THE CATCHER WITH RUNNERS ON ESP!!! 3RD BASE!! WHAT COACHES NEED TO DO MORE IS WORKING WITH THERE CATCHER THE HARDEST POSTION ON THE FIELD!! TOO MANY COACHES AT THE 10U LEVEL DONT THINK ITS THAT IMPORTANT !!WHY WOULD THEY KEEP ONE OF THEIR BEST PLAYERS CAGED UP IN PADS WHEN SHES A GREAT SHORT STOP OR 3RD BASEMEN !!!! MY THOUGHTS ON THIS IS WOULD U RATHER HAVE ONE OF YOUR BEST PLAYERS TOUCHING EVERY SINGLE BALL IN THE GAME OR MAYBE EVERY 25 HIT BALLS !!!! U TAKE YOUR PITCHERS TO PITCHING CLINICS BUT WHERE DO U TAKE YOUR CATCHERS !!!! WE AS COACHES NEED TO PERPARE OUR CATCHERS JUST AS MUCH AS THE PITCHERS!!!! THE SAYING IS A GOOD PITCHER IS ONLY MADE BETTER BY A STRONG LEADING CATCHER BACK BEHIND THE PLATE MAKING IT LOOK EASY !!! CATCHERS WILL ALWAYS EITHER MAKE OR BRAKE ANY GAME !!!
PITCHERS #1 JOB IS TO THROW STRIKE AND GET OUT EVERY BATTER (K) AND WHEN THAT JOB ISNT DONE!! NOW ITS YOUR CATCHER JOB TO GET THEM ON THE BASES!!! RUNNERS ON BASES IS WHAT WINS GAMES !!!!
YES ! your call was correct 100%. but what bothers me about this whole obstrution call !! WHY is the pitcher 3 FT DOWN, THE BASE LINE BY HOME PLATE, AND ,ON THE BASELINE ????? TRYING TO MAKE A PLAY ON A GIRLS RUNNING FULL SPEED COMING HOME TO SCORE AND WHICH IS COMING IN HARD AND DOWN SLIDING !!( WELL HOPEFULLY)!! DID THE COACHS EVERY HEAR OF TRYING TO PROTECT THERE PITCHERS!!! LOSING ANY PLAYER HURTS BUT U CANT MAKE A GREAT OR GOOD PITCHER BY PRACTING A NEW POSTION IN A FEW DAYS!!! ALL MY PITCHERS ON MY 10U TEAM HAVE BEEN PRACTICING DAILY FROM TRYOUTS SINCE AUG '12. IF I LOST ANYONE OF MY PITCHERS SHAME ON ME FOR NOT SHOWING THE RIGHT WAY TO PLAY A PASS BALL BEHIND THE CATCHER WITH RUNNERS ON ESP!!! 3RD BASE!! WHAT COACHES NEED TO DO MORE IS WORKING WITH THERE CATCHER THE HARDEST POSTION ON THE FIELD!! TOO MANY COACHES AT THE 10U LEVEL DONT THINK ITS THAT IMPORTANT !!WHY WOULD THEY KEEP ONE OF THEIR BEST PLAYERS CAGED UP IN PADS WHEN SHES A GREAT SHORT STOP OR 3RD BASEMEN !!!! MY THOUGHTS ON THIS IS WOULD U RATHER HAVE ONE OF YOUR BEST PLAYERS TOUCHING EVERY SINGLE BALL IN THE GAME OR MAYBE EVERY 25 HIT BALLS !!!! U TAKE YOUR PITCHERS TO PITCHING CLINICS BUT WHERE DO U TAKE YOUR CATCHERS !!!! WE AS COACHES NEED TO PERPARE OUR CATCHERS JUST AS MUCH AS THE PITCHERS!!!! THE SAYING IS A GOOD PITCHER IS ONLY MADE BETTER BY A STRONG LEADING CATCHER BACK BEHIND THE PLATE MAKING IT LOOK EASY !!! CATCHERS WILL ALWAYS EITHER MAKE OR BRAKE ANY GAME !!!
PITCHERS #1 JOB IS TO THROW STRIKE AND GET OUT EVERY BATTER (K) AND WHEN THAT JOB ISNT DONE!! NOW ITS YOUR CATCHER JOB TO GET THEM ON THE BASES!!! RUNNERS ON BASES IS WHAT WINS GAMES !!!!
