obstruction or not?

[rufusinri]

runner on second, ball hit to the outfield runner rounds and comes home. catcher is taken up the line by the throw. runner slides and catcher drops to his knees, catches ball and runner slides into mitt. the ball dislodges. the catcher then squeezes his knees and puts his left arm on the runners leg, picks up the ball with his bare hands and tags runner. i call obstruction for the catcher not allowing the runner to get up after losing possession of the ball. when i explained the call to the coach, he seemed miffed. never brought it up again. i wanted some input from this arena.

[Brotherhood_of_Blue]

From what you have described it sounds like you made the right call. At the start of the play the F2 is up the line fielding a throw, the Runner is advancing to home, so far both parties are doing their job and no obstruction has yet occured since the F2 is making a play on the ball coming into him.

Now once that catch is made, tag applied and ball is loose F2 does not have any right to Impede or Hinder the runner still trying to advance. From what you described his actions in pinning the runner down would defenitley be obstruction and he should be awarded whatever appropriate base.

Ignore coaches that are "miffed" once you explain a ruling. The smart ones will look up the rule and figure it out, the others are just professional whiners that are caught flat footed not knowing or understanding the rule.

[Richard_Siegel]

Obstruction is the action of a fielder NOT in possession of the ball hindering a runner from advancing or returning to a base. The concept that a fielder may block a runner if he is the act of receiving the throw has long been dropped as an excuse to allow the fielder to block the runner without the ball.

If the fielder does not has possession of the ball he may not block the runner.

Possession means the ball is firmly in the fielder's grasp. Not 2 inches from his glove... in his grasp.

If the runner was blocked by the catcher BEFORE he received the throw you have type "A" obstruction (rule 7.06a). Call time. Award the runner HP.

If the runner was blocked by the catcher AFTER he received the throw and THEN the catcher dropped the ball while trying to tag the runner you would NOT have obstruction unless the catcher did something after he lost the ball to further block, pin down, or hold onto the runner while he was retrieving the ball to tag him.

If the runner was blocked by the catcher AFTER he received the throw and THEN the catcher dropped the ball, if the catcher immediately began to get off the runner, and the catcher's entire efforts were to go after the ball, you would NOT have obstruction. If the catcher's initial block was when he had possession of the the ball, it was a legal block. Once the catcher loses the ball he is not expected to evaporate, but he has to immdiately to to get off the runner while goes to get the ball.

This is all your judgment.

[bobjenkins]

the catcher then squeezes his knees and puts his left arm on the runners leg, picks up the ball with his bare hands and tags runner.

HTBT, base on, among other things --

How long did this take? Was the runner trying to get up / advance during the action? Was the action of the catcher putting his arm on the runner's leg deliberate? (Yes, I know obstruction needn't be intentional, but it does change the benefit of the doubt.)

[dileonardoja]

If the fielder does not has possession of the ball he may not block the runner.

Possession means the ball is firmly in the fielder's grasp. Not 2 inches from his glove... in his grasp.

Richard,

I have to disagree with your interpretation on this one if we are talking OBR.

OBSTRUCTION is the act of a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball and not in the act of fielding the ball, impedes the progress of any runner.
Rule 2.00 (Obstruction) Comment: If a fielder is about to receive a thrown ball and if the ball is in flight directly toward and near enough to the fielder so he must occupy his position to receive the ball he may be considered “in the act of fielding a ball.”It is entirely up to the judgment of the umpire as to whether a fielder is in the act of fielding a ball. After a fielder has made an attempt to field a ball and missed, he can no longer be in the “act of fielding” the ball. For example: an infielder dives at a ground ball and the ball passes him and he continues to lie on the ground and delays the progress of the runner, he very likely has obstructed the runner.

[mazzamouth]

If the fielder does not has possession of the ball he may not block the runner.

Possession means the ball is firmly in the fielder's grasp. Not 2 inches from his glove... in his grasp.

Richard,

I have to disagree with your interpretation on this one if we are talking OBR.

OBSTRUCTION is the act of a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball and not in the act of fielding the ball, impedes the progress of any runner.
Rule 2.00 (Obstruction) Comment: If a fielder is about to receive a thrown ball and if the ball is in flight directly toward and near enough to the fielder so he must occupy his position to receive the ball he may be considered “in the act of fielding a ball.”It is entirely up to the judgment of the umpire as to whether a fielder is in the act of fielding a ball. After a fielder has made an attempt to field a ball and missed, he can no longer be in the “act of fielding” the ball. For example: an infielder dives at a ground ball and the ball passes him and he continues to lie on the ground and delays the progress of the runner, he very likely has obstructed the runner.

Richard quote of the rule is right in NFHS, and NCAA... so he did post the right rule...

[Richard_Siegel]

Richard,

I have to disagree with your interpretation on this one if we are talking OBR.

OBSTRUCTION is the act of a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball and not in the act of fielding the ball, impedes the progress of any runner.
Rule 2.00 (Obstruction) Comment: If a fielder is about to receive a thrown ball and if the ball is in flight directly toward and near enough to the fielder so he must occupy his position to receive the ball he may be considered “in the act of fielding a ball.”It is entirely up to the judgment of the umpire as to whether a fielder is in the act of fielding a ball. After a fielder has made an attempt to field a ball and missed, he can no longer be in the “act of fielding” the ball. For example: an infielder dives at a ground ball and the ball passes him and he continues to lie on the ground and delays the progress of the runner, he very likely has obstructed the runner.

This version of obstruction is still applicable in professional ball, but most amateur codes have gotten away from it and now require the fielder to actually have possession of the ball.

[Brotherhood_of_Blue]

Thanks for the clarification Richard. Not sure why I didn't throw in the caveat phrase about FED and most other Amarature levels making the change to "possession" being required, just wasn't really thinking of it originally and was in OBR mode, but let's face it most of us are going to be doing a good majority of our work between FED, and OBR related youth leagues, and the majority of those programs are moving towards that view point.

I was really trying to answer what I "thought" was the F2 making an extra effort to keep the runner pinned down in the OP, the HTBT factor grows each time I look at it!

Tom

[dileonardoja]

Richard quote of the rule is right in NFHS, and NCAA... so he did post the right rule...

Why do you say that? The OP makes no mention of NCAA or Fed. In AABC for example (Koufax, Mantle, Mack, etc) the OBR Rule is the Rule

[mazzamouth]

Richard quote of the rule is right in NFHS, and NCAA... so he did post the right rule...

Why do you say that? The OP makes no mention of NCAA or Fed. In AABC for example (Koufax, Mantle, Mack, etc) the OBR Rule is the Rule

Your right but in the OP it didn't mention what type of rules they were using.. So just in case...