Possible obstruction call at first, I may have blown it

[AcesFullMoon]

NSA 10U Rec league, with safety bag

Ball hit to second baseman, who makes throw to first. First baseman positioned in front of fielder’s bag, bobbles throw and it rolls in front of safety bag. She’s basically taking up both bases trying to pick ball up, runner slows down, allowing first to secure ball. Runner then makes contact with first baseman on top of the bag.

Coaches lobbied for obstruction call and I said NSA rules explicitly disallows obstruction if “catching a thrown ball,” thus no obstruction. After game, told coaches if we were using NFHS rules, I would have ruled obstruction because no exception made for fielder catching a throw.

Looking at rulebook now and I’m thinking fielder wasn’t actually “making a catch” but picking up a dropped ball, so maybe she didn’t have a right to block bases while securing the ball.

Would you say picking up a dropped ball falls under “catching a thrown ball” or is a separate action that NSA rules don’t create an exception for?


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[MoJo]

Obstruction

Batter/runner should be on base. Good sportsmanship for not hit or stepping on other player.

 

[flash277]

I'm not sure if that's obstruction, the fielder still making a play on the ball. And what is NSA rules?

 

[Mike Hurd]

I'm not sure if that's obstruction, the fielder still making a play on the ball. And what is NSA rules?

When does making a play on the ball ever come into play, other than the initial hit?

 

[ang2bmd]

I believe the catch would have applied to the initial play just like any other deflection. Once she dropped the ball it would be no different than if it had rolled further away and she ran into the runner going after it.

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[sjw62000]

Interesting. Sounds like it should have been obstruction. Similar play this past weekend; 3B let ball bounce off her glove her efforts to retrieve the misplaced ball caused her to make contact with runner who had already moved to avoid contact with fielder. In this instance 3B had no play and Blue made no call, despite defense asking for runner interference.

 

[AcesFullMoon]

I'm not sure if that's obstruction, the fielder still making a play on the ball. And what is NSA rules?

Well, it defines obstruction as, “hinders or impedes a batter’s attempt to make contact with a pitched ball or who impedes the progress of a runner or batter-runner legally running the bases, unless the fielder is in possession of the ball or is fielding a batted ball, executing a play or catching a thrown ball.”

Her glove was initially in contact with the ball, then she pushed the ball into her glove with her free hand. But the ball wasn’t in the grasp of either, was still rolling loose with her in contact of it.

But I wouldn’t say she was “in possession.” And I believe I would define “executing a play” as making a tag or throwing the ball. I don’t think picking up the ball would apply but it might?

In my mind, I applied the “within a step and a reach” on a fielded ball. As in, a runner interfering with a fielder that’s within a step and reach of ball would be interference. I generalized it to this play, even though I would obviously never call interference on a runner in this case.


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[AcesFullMoon]

When does making a play on the ball ever come into play, other than the initial hit?

Thanks for the reply. I’m leaning almost 100% toward it being obstruction, but NSA’s stupid phrasing has me a little on the fence still. I’ve put NFHS rule below to contrast just how overly wordy NSA rule is.

NSA says “unless the fielder is…executing a play.” But later it falls back on the NFHS rule in batter-base runner section.

How would you define executing a play? Is picking the ball up “executing a play?” I think I would define it as making a tag or throw but I can’t find where NSA defines it anywhere.

I’m probably overthinking this and should just apply the NFHS rule, shouldn’t I?

NFHS: Obstruction is the act of the defensive team member that hinders or impedes a batter's attempt to make contact with a pitched ball or that impedes the progress of a runner or batter-runner who is legally running bases, unless the fielder is in possession of the ball or is making the initial play on a batted ball.

NSA: …hinders or impedes a batter’s attempt to make contact with a pitched ball or who impedes the progress of a runner or batter-runner legally running the bases, unless the fielder is in possession of the ball or is fielding a batted ball, executing a play or catching a thrown ball.

When a fielder obstructs a baserunner from making a base, (including a run-down) unless the fielder is trying to field a batted ball or has the ball ready for a tag.


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[CoachJD]

Thanks for the reply. I’m leaning almost 100% toward it being obstruction, but NSA’s stupid phrasing has me a little on the fence still. I’ve put NFHS rule below to contrast just how overly wordy NSA rule is.

NSA says “unless the fielder is…executing a play.” But later it falls back on the NFHS rule in batter-base runner section.

How would you define executing a play? Is picking the ball up “executing a play?” I think I would define it as making a tag or throw but I can’t find where NSA defines it anywhere.

I’m probably overthinking this and should just apply the NFHS rule, shouldn’t I?

NFHS: Obstruction is the act of the defensive team member that hinders or impedes a batter's attempt to make contact with a pitched ball or that impedes the progress of a runner or batter-runner who is legally running bases, unless the fielder is in possession of the ball or is making the initial play on a batted ball.

NSA: …hinders or impedes a batter’s attempt to make contact with a pitched ball or who impedes the progress of a runner or batter-runner legally running the bases, unless the fielder is in possession of the ball or is fielding a batted ball, executing a play or catching a thrown ball.

When a fielder obstructs a baserunner from making a base, (including a run-down) unless the fielder is trying to field a batted ball or has the ball ready for a tag.


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I have no idea whatsoever what "executing a play" means, and I think one could argue that it covers anything at all except mindlessly standing in the basepath.

 

[CoachJ5513]

IMHO.... any time a fielder (who does not have possession of the ball) either impedes or causes a runner to alter her path to the base, it is obstruction