Obstruction question...

[Quigs10]

Runner on 1st. Batter hits ball to RCF gap...runner from 1st rounds 2nd and continues to 3rd. SS is on bag in her way as she goes by...Umpire signals obstruction..ball is thrown to SS who then turns and throws to 3B. The runner at thid point has passed 3rd and is a few steps toward home. Runner turns back toward 3rd and is tagged out by 3B. Umpire calls her safe due to obstruction previously at 2B.

Corrrect? Or would runner be out now bcuz she has reached and passed 3rd where there was no obstruction?

 

[flash277]

Well, it comes down to umpire judgement. Would the runner made it to home if she wasn't obstructed at 2nd? Even though she didn't attempt to score and went back, the umpire may have judged the obstruction at 2nd prevented her from scoring. Could be the correct call, no right or wrong, just umpire judgement call.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Obstruction protects a runner from being called out between the two bases where the obstruction occurred.

Once the play has ended, the umpire should then make any awards based on her or his judgment as to what would have happened without the obstruction.

In your scenario, the obstruction at 2nd base does not protect the runner between 3rd base and home. That leaves us with two possible remedies:

• If the umpire judges the runner would have made it to home absent the obstruction, the runner should be awarded home.
• If the umpire does NOT believe the runner would have made it home absent the obstruction, the runner is out.

What would be absolutely incorrect in this scenario is putting the runner back on 3rd base. She either retains her protection to home or loses it once she passes 3rd.

Also incorrect would be "calling her safe". The proper mechanic if bases are being awarded or protection is being applied would look like this:

• umpire signals (verbally and physically) obstruction at the point it occurs
• once the runner is tagged out, the umpire should call the runner out and then immediately kill play (dead ball) even if other runners are still moving
• umpire should again announce the obstruction and make proper base awards to the obstructed runner and any runners who were still in motion

 

[EC22]

• If the umpire judges the runner would have made it to home absent the obstruction, the runner should be awarded home.
  

• 
  
  This true even if the runner did not attempt to advance home?

 

[The Man In Blue]

This true even if the runner did not attempt to advance home?

Good question without a good answer ...

In the OP's example, she did (even though she changed course). But had she not rounded third, had she just stopped there ... possibly. If the umpire judges she gave up and didn't make the attempt because of the obstruction, the umpire could award home.

Personally, I like to see some attempt or an obvious indication that the runner "gave up" as a result of the obstruction (e.g., she was laying on the ground due to the crash or crawled into third base). I tend to be conservative though.

Remember, unlike obstruction in baseball, obstruction in softball does not equate to free bases. It is about protection from being called out and correcting what would have happened, not what could have happened.

 

[RIZZARIJOE]

Runner on 1st. Batter hits ball to RCF gap...runner from 1st rounds 2nd and continues to 3rd. SS is on bag in her way as she goes by...Umpire signals obstruction..ball is thrown to SS who then turns and throws to 3B. The runner at thid point has passed 3rd and is a few steps toward home. Runner turns back toward 3rd and is tagged out by 3B. Umpire calls her safe due to obstruction previously at 2B.

Corrrect? Or would runner be out now bcuz she has reached and passed 3rd where there was no obstruction?

there are a couple of things to keep in mind when an umpire makes this ruling. Without actually seeing it, and with the information that you had provided, you cannot be tagged out between the bases where the obstruction occurred. But there is another part to this rule that a lot of umpires, as well as most coaches, tend to ignore. The umpire that had called the obstruction is not limited to just one base. For example, if R1 gets completely leveled by the shortstop between 2nd and 3rd base and then picks herself up and continues toward home plate, the umpire has to now go make a judgment call as to whether or not the runner would have or could have reached home plate. These are really extremely difficult to call because you now have to ascertain whether her retreat back to 3rd base was a result of the obstruction. My rule of thumb is to hold the older girls ( 14U and up) to a higher standard.

What a lot of people do not understand is that even if the plate or base umpire does not signal obstruction, it is still obstruction and a penalty could and should be imposed.

 

[RIZZARIJOE]

Obstruction protects a runner from being called out between the two bases where the obstruction occurred.

Once the play has ended, the umpire should then make any awards based on her or his judgment as to what would have happened without the obstruction.

In your scenario, the obstruction at 2nd base does not protect the runner between 3rd base and home. That leaves us with two possible remedies:

• If the umpire judges the runner would have made it to home absent the obstruction, the runner should be awarded home.
• If the umpire does NOT believe the runner would have made it home absent the obstruction, the runner is out.

What would be absolutely incorrect in this scenario is putting the runner back on 3rd base. She either retains her protection to home or loses it once she passes 3rd.

Also incorrect would be "calling her safe". The proper mechanic if bases are being awarded or protection is being applied would look like this:

• umpire signals (verbally and physically) obstruction at the point it occurs
• once the runner is tagged out, the umpire should call the runner out and then immediately kill play (dead ball) even if other runners are still moving
• umpire should again announce the obstruction and make proper base awards to the obstructed runner and any runners who were still in motion

I could not have said this any better! Very succinct and to the point.