Another Obstruction Question

[LeftyHitter]

Had this one last weekend in ASA State Tourney. Batter hits single to left field. As she rounds first, 1B was standing a step or so off the bag towards second in the baseline and batter-runner collides with her. Umpire signals obstruction with extended arm and fist. All OK, so far. Throw from LF goes towards second, but goes over 2B head and into short right field. Batter-runner sees this, pauses briefly, because she doesn't think she'll make it, then sees umpire signalling obstruction, and jogs to second. Ball is picked up and thrown back to second and the batter-runner is tagged before reaching second. Batter-runner is called out and that's umpires final call. Coach questions about the obstruction and the umpire stated that it was his discretion to make any call and since the runner hesitated and then jogged to second, he was calling her out. It was coaches contention and also my understanding of the rule, that when obstruction occurs, the runner cannot be put out between the bases that it occurred (first and second in this case) and the only way that protection is cancelled is if there is a play on another runner first. Not sure why the batter-runner jogged to second, as that insured there was no way she would be awarded it, and it looked bad as well, but I still interpret the rules to say she should have been put back on first. Was this the right call and I'm just missing something?

[UmpSteve]

Had this one last weekend in ASA State Tourney. Batter hits single to left field. As she rounds first, 1B was standing a step or so off the bag towards second in the baseline and batter-runner collides with her. Umpire signals obstruction with extended arm and fist. All OK, so far. Throw from LF goes towards second, but goes over 2B head and into short right field. Batter-runner sees this, pauses briefly, because she doesn't think she'll make it, then sees umpire signalling obstruction, and jogs to second. Ball is picked up and thrown back to second and the batter-runner is tagged before reaching second. Batter-runner is called out and that's umpires final call. Coach questions about the obstruction and the umpire stated that it was his discretion to make any call and since the runner hesitated and then jogged to second, he was calling her out. It was coaches contention and also my understanding of the rule, that when obstruction occurs, the runner cannot be put out between the bases that it occurred (first and second in this case) and the only way that protection is cancelled is if there is a play on another runner first. Not sure why the batter-runner jogged to second, as that insured there was no way she would be awarded it, and it looked bad as well, but I still interpret the rules to say she should have been put back on first. Was this the right call and I'm just missing something?

Assuming this is a complete and accurate accounting of the occurence, if your team didn't protest the misapplication of the rule, that is the something you missed.

[GIMNEPIWO]

Had this one last weekend in ASA State Tourney. Batter hits single to left field. As she rounds first, 1B was standing a step or so off the bag towards second in the baseline and batter-runner collides with her. Umpire signals obstruction with extended arm and fist. All OK, so far. Throw from LF goes towards second, but goes over 2B head and into short right field. Batter-runner sees this, pauses briefly, because she doesn't think she'll make it, then sees umpire signalling obstruction, and jogs to second. Ball is picked up and thrown back to second and the batter-runner is tagged before reaching second. Batter-runner is called out and that's umpires final call. Coach questions about the obstruction and the umpire stated that it was his discretion to make any call and since the runner hesitated and then jogged to second, he was calling her out. It was coaches contention and also my understanding of the rule, that when obstruction occurs, the runner cannot be put out between the bases that it occurred (first and second in this case) and the only way that protection is cancelled is if there is a play on another runner first. Not sure why the batter-runner jogged to second, as that insured there was no way she would be awarded it, and it looked bad as well, but I still interpret the rules to say she should have been put back on first. Was this the right call and I'm just missing something?

Her jogging into second certainly looks bad, but has no bearing on whether she should be put at first or second ... Once obstruction occurs, she could turn around and go back to first and still be awarded second base if in the Umpires Judgment she would have made it to second ( or third or home ) had the OBS not occured ... As presented, the Umpire has 2 possible calls, safe at first or safe at second.

[AlwaysImprove]

This is not my read of the ASA rules on obstruction. I thought the protection only extended to the player for her to reach a base she would likely have made, had there been no contact.

Certainly, based on my read of the rules, once the ball was overthrown, the first contact likely had little bearing on the play.

[GIMNEPIWO]

This is not my read of the ASA rules on obstruction. I thought the protection only extended to the player for her to reach a base she would likely have made, had there been no contact.

Certainly, based on my read of the rules, once the ball was overthrown, the first contact likely had little bearing on the play.

Please site the rule that you are reading

[MTR]

This is not my read of the ASA rules on obstruction. I thought the protection only extended to the player for her to reach a base she would likely have made, had there been no contact.

Certainly, based on my read of the rules, once the ball was overthrown, the first contact likely had little bearing on the play.

Please read the whole rule. It also states that a runner cannot be put out between the two bases where obstructed. Other than on an appeal for missing 1B or an act of INT by the runner, the only way she could be called out at 2B would be if there was a subsequent play on another runner and the runner reached the base to which she was entitled and then elects to leave that base.

[AlwaysImprove]

If she went back to first base?

[GIMNEPIWO]

If she went back to first base?

If she was protected to second base and never reached second base, it doesn't matter if she stopped and did the Macarena as long as the exceptions the MTR sited do not apply ... BUT, if she had reached second base safely and then leaves that base voluntarily to return to first for some reason she could be tagged out.

[MTR]

If she went back to first base?

If she was protected to second base and never reached second base, it doesn't matter if she stopped and did the Macarena as long as the exceptions the MTR sited do not apply ... BUT, if she had reached second base safely and then leaves that base voluntarily to return to first for some reason she could be tagged out.

Nope, not unless there was a play on another runner between the OBS and the runner reaching 2B.

[GIMNEPIWO]

If she went back to first base?

If she was protected to second base and never reached second base, it doesn't matter if she stopped and did the Macarena as long as the exceptions the MTR sited do not apply ... BUT, if she had reached second base safely and then leaves that base voluntarily to return to first for some reason she could be tagged out.

Nope, not unless there was a play on another runner between the OBS and the runner reaching 2B.

Really ? ... You are saying then, if OBS occured between 1st and 2nd and you had her protected to 2nd, which she made safely irregardless of the OBS ... And then she voluntarily vacates the bag and heads back to first base for whatever reason ( pick up dropped batting gloves, brain fart etc. ) that she can not be tagged out ? I thought once she made the bag to which you have her protected, then the OBS is done with, no ?

* re-reading it my mind may be putting 'ors' where the 'ands' are and periods where the commas are ... LOL