Obstruction question

[wadeintothem]

Um.. I'm no pete turner or anything but it seems a no brainer that you would coach a player to keep going if between the bases where obstructed if the blue arm is out... As you described your scenario I doubt a 3b award would be appropriate. Would she have been safe at 3 without contact?
The next base is not automatic.

No spring ball for you or what?

[Iluvblue]

If my runner is half way to third base (AFTER the obstruction) and that play would be even remotely close, 3rd base should be awarded IMO. The runner is stopping and going back because she decided she wouldnt be safe, and she doesnt have time to stop and look at blue to see if he happened to have an arm out. What would save her is me SCREAMING at her to come to third anyways.

No Spring ball for us. Fortunately (or unfortunately) we had too many of our Freshman make their varsity teams, which means we had only our 3 8th graders able to play in the Spring. We have another 4-5 week wait... plus some of them are going to likely be in playoffs.

And your comment about 3rd base probably shouldnt be awarded only reinforces my point that the defense should just obstruct their arses off, as most umps will NOT award a base. So the defense has NOTHING to lose in most cases. I can not bring myself to teach this, but you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by doing it.

[wadeintothem]

If my runner is half way to third base (AFTER the obstruction) and that play would be even remotely close, 3rd base should be awarded IMO. The runner is stopping and going back because she decided she wouldnt be safe, and she doesnt have time to stop and look at blue to see if he happened to have an arm out. What would save her is me SCREAMING at her to come to third anyways.

yep.. thats why god invented coaches.

yall aint there just for your awesome legs.

[wadeintothem]

I will say this though, if there was a significant enough obstruction that it did result in the runner not being able to advance, and it wasnt just a minor thing and a dumb move by the runner/coach .. and that runner would have made 3rd, that runner should be awarded 3rd. I've not only seen it, but done it, specifically a runner tripped and fell over the impeding F6 after rounding 2B, then the runner retreated, not even having a chance and all goofed up. It was obvious she would have made it and I put her to 3rd. The coach wanted home and he had a point, but I gave 3rd as my best judgment of where she would be safe had their been no obs.

The way I picture your scenario is where some coaches have taught the runners to brush the defensive players to draw the OBS when rounding bases, combined with a yelling at the umpire "wheres the arm wheres the arm" and then when they get the token protection and free shot then want the extrabase, when they really had no chance. Maybe yours wasnt that one though.

[MTR]

And your comment about 3rd base probably shouldnt be awarded only reinforces my point that the defense should just obstruct their arses off, as most umps will NOT award a base. So the defense has NOTHING to lose in most cases. I can not bring myself to teach this, but you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by doing it.

Why do people make such idiotic statements? Where are you that umpires do not call OBS? I've never seen an umpire hesitate to call OBS and place the runner where s/he would have been had the OBS not occurred.

And, of course, the defense has something to lose, participating in the game or the game itself.

[Iluvblue]

MTR,

Do you actually READ???

I didnt say they wont call obstruction, but I am not going to explain it to you again.

But you are right, I make idiotic statements and dont have a clue what i am talking about. Thats why my teams always suck, and my players always leave. I should aspire to be more like everyone else.

[MTR]

MTR,

Do you actually READ???

I didnt say they wont call obstruction, but I am not going to explain it to you again.

Yeah, that's a good one. I admit taking liberties with the post because if the umpire is not applying the rule properly, they are not calling it.

OBS is the 2nd easiest rule in the book, right behind the infield fly. People who don't get it just don't understand how easy it is, the purpose of the rule and are trying to out think it.

But you are right, I make idiotic statements and dont have a clue what i am talking about. Thats why my teams always suck, and my players always leave. I should aspire to be more like everyone else.

Sorry to hear that. Maybe someday you will get lucky and get a good team on the field.

[softball_rules5]

IMO it is not the easiest call next to IFF. Too many umps double call it, use it in the wrong situation, AND dont understand the basis behind it. The reason I dont think they understand it is because if you ask for clarification on where you want the fielder to be or where was the ball when the obstruction occurred, most cant give you justification and you get the argument thats my call and I'm going with it.

[Iluvblue]

It is not that easy. Anything that has judgment involved makes it not so easy. Black and white stuff is easy.

In my example, the reason a defense has nothing to lose is because a runner that is not obstructed on a hit to the OF is going to score EASY if she is not obstructed. So if the defense does obstruct and the runner stops at 3rd and makes no attempt to go home, most umps wont award home because the obstruction happened between 2nd and 3rd. So now the defense has been rewarded on the play by obstructing the runner.

The umpire saw it, put his arm out, but protected the runner between 2nd and 3rd and then didnt award home. Good job defense, you just saved a run........... so why not do it every time?

[MTR]

IMO it is not the easiest call next to IFF. Too many umps double call it, use it in the wrong situation, AND dont understand the basis behind it. The reason I dont think they understand it is because if you ask for clarification on where you want the fielder to be or where was the ball when the obstruction occurred, most cant give you justification and you get the argument thats my call and I'm going with it.

Maybe that is because it is irrelevant. Either the fielder has possession of the ball, is in the act of fielding a batted ball or it is obstruction if they impede a runner. What is so difficult about that? Doesn't get much more black and white than that.

makes no attempt to go home, most umps wont award home because the obstruction happened between 2nd and 3rd.

That is ridiculous. You must live someplace where the umpires are extremely dumb. But I've never been there or met them and I know a lot of umpires around this country and a few from others.

so why not do it every time?

Because an intelligent umpire (apparently something you don't think you have wherever you are) is going to get rid of that player and probably the coach when they come out to defend their player.

Obstruction is easier than fair/foul.