Michigan vs. Washington- obstruction

[radness]

These plays happened in the 2017 Women's College World Series.
New rules about blocking the whole base/plate or basepath without the ball, 9.5, and Collisions, 12.13, was put into the 2018/19 rule book.

Thank you

 

[Crabby_Bob]

[Mich-Wash] In the 3rd picture the catcher is in possession of the ball.

Contact with a fielder who has the ball is not obstruction.

There was a very similar play in the top of the 7th of the South Florida / Florida game. Do you have images of the runner's path?

 

[Crabby_Bob]

Lisa Fernandez got ejected because BOTH those plays were OBS. Paige Haalsteads was a WAY clearer example, but the TAMU one was too, just really hard to pick up in real time.
[images removed]

The TAMU catcher sets up to the furthest extent of the line.. During the throw you can see she maintains her right foot in the same position during the entire flight of the ball (see yellow dot on RC field next to 2B), undoubtedly the umpire was looking at that planted foot to see if the OBS was in play. But you can see how she shifted from RIGHT ON the line to left foot in foul territory, essentially blocking the entire base path without the ball.

Clearly there was OBS calls in 2017, UCLA pulled one from LSU. I can see how Coach Fernandez was pissed, she probably thought OBS and wasn't given the call.

I'm curious. What makes you think either, or both, are obstruction? What would you tell the coach? Remember, blocking the entire base without the ball is obstruction only in NCAA and only since 2018.