Were can I find Obstruction ruling

[Iluvblue]

couldn't disagree more. OBS is one of the easiest and safest call for an umpire to make. An umpire who refuses to make the call without contact is not a good umpire, has applied a personal opinion to the game where it should not be and unfair to all involve.



I agree, and more umpires than not dont call EASY obstruction calls at the plate because .... well I cant tell you why. But it is not called nearly as much as it should be called at the plate.

[SnocatzDad]

couldn't disagree more. OBS is one of the easiest and safest call for an umpire to make. An umpire who refuses to make the call without contact is not a good umpire, has applied a personal opinion to the game where it should not be and unfair to all involve.



I agree, and more umpires than not dont call EASY obstruction calls at the plate because .... well I cant tell you why. But it is not called nearly as much as it should be called at the plate.

About 2-3 years ago that play at the plate obstruction was a point of emphasis around here for the ASA umps and was being called correctly and regularly (as usual with a POE it was probably being called too much ). Happened to be same time my daughter was learning to catch and she was ingrained with the right way to wait to set up to receive the ball at the plate so it doesn't get called. Now I almost feel she's at a disadvantage, I haven't seen it called in over a year and I regularly see catchers camping in the running lane waiting to receive the ball, forcing the runner to go wide, and it never gets called.

[Iluvblue]

I regularly see catchers camping in the running lane waiting to receive the ball, forcing the runner to go wide, and it never gets called.



Why would any runner going home do a hook slide?? Because the catcher is camped out in front of the plate. So probably 75% of the time when a runner is doing a hook slide at home obstruction has taken place, but it is called probably 5% of the time. Moral of the story, block the crap out of home plate, you will stop FAR many more runs than it will cost you.

[rbi]

Not being taught proper mechanics behind the plate as a catcher and/or as an infielder has led to many many serious lower body injuries to the base runners, some of which have led to girls being out for a year sometimes longer. Sure its ok to block the plate, but you need to know when and how, and where to receive the ball, same thing on the bases. I just dont think enough people know how to teach it, and I see the play all the time and it makes me cringe.

[MTR]

Unless the runner is starting at 3B, most runners approach the plate from 3-6 feet in foul ground, so hook slides are not prevelent as the runner already has an advantageous angle.

Catchers should always be in fair territory waiting to receive a throw, even before the rule was changed requiring possession in ASA & NFHS (NCAA still allows for the "about to receive" as an exemption from an OBS call, though most people still don't understand it).

The OBS at the plate has been called a few times in the past few WCOP &, if I remember correctly, at the 18U Gold in OKC a couple years ago. As I've noted before, this is not a hard call for the umpire, but I will not argue that there are umpires who hesitate to make that call with the reason of "I don't want my call to be the deciding factor in a game" which is absolutely ridiculous. People tend to forget that when a violation or other issue is overlooked for one team, the other team ends up getting the short end of the call.

[Iluvblue]

agree with you, and at nationals rules are enforced way more than the rest of the season. Umpires take great pride in getting things right at nationals. That is why you will see illegal pitches or leaving early actually enforced at nationals.

[GIMNEPIWO]

Catchers should always be in fair territory waiting to receive a throw

Not always true, but close ...

[MTR]

Catchers should always be in fair territory waiting to receive a throw

Not always true, but close ...

Caught, baseball, FP & SP for over 35 years and I'm more than very comfortable with my statement.

[PDad]

Catchers should always be in fair territory waiting to receive a throw

Not always true, but close ...

Caught, baseball, FP & SP for over 35 years and I'm more than very comfortable with my statement.

Would they be okay standing on home plate?

[MTR]

Catchers should always be in fair territory waiting to receive a throw

Not always true, but close ...

Caught, baseball, FP & SP for over 35 years and I'm more than very comfortable with my statement.

Would they be okay standing on home plate?

Why would they stand on the plate? I said in fair territory, which could include the plate, but that wouldn't be too smart since that puts the defender away from where the play needs to occur to reach the desired results. The odds of tagging a runner out from there are somewhat reduced than those if you intercept the runner prior to reaching the plate area.

But regardless, the runner is rarely going to be approaching the plate in fair territory, hence should have zero affect on the catcher/defender receiving the ball. Yes, I know it happens, but not as often as it does not.