Obstruction- Yes or No. Let's learn

Here is a great picture. This is not meant to be a dig on any team or umpire but the picture, and explaination in the threads, can go a long way in helping educate the softball masses. This is a high school game, but we can also talk other santions too.

Is there obstruction? Why? Let's make this a learning experience.

 

Yes!!!! Catcher can't block the plate before ball has been received. But they never call it except I have seen it called a few times in USSSA.

 

Can you post a top down diagram showing feet location and where the plate is located. That picture is too difficult to make a determination. If there is still clear access to the plate, there is no obstruction.

 

This is not obstruction. The runner has access to the plate through the catcher's legs. She is actually sliding across the plate. This situation shows poor sliding technique. The better technique is to slide around the catcher (and any potential tag), dragging a hand across the plate.

Its difficult to judge in the picture if the catcher has moved to catch the throw, which she has a right to do. Also, no umpire should call this obstruction because obstruction did not occur; ...the runner was not prevented from reaching the plate. To obstruct the runner, this catcher would have to have her legs on the ground physically blocking all access to the plate.

A lower throw may have taken this catcher to her knees and caused her to actually block the runner. But if that had happened, is it right to penalize a correct defensive move because the runner isn't trained to slide around the tag and avoid contact?

 

I'm going with no but I don't like the obstruction rule the way it is writen up any way. If your recieving the ball you should be able to block the plate. I can understand the rule if you are just standing on a base while runners are coming and the ball is not but if you are recieving the ball you shouldn't have to worry about getting out of the way, catching the ball and then getting back in position.

 

The catcher was actually straddling the plate but, as the umpire told me this morning, the runner had committed to the slide and there was a clear path to the plate. The umpire also told me that he was looking to see if the catcher would drop a leg into a blocking position before she had the ball. If she did, then he would have called obstruction.

 

Obstruction should be called if a defensive player, without possession of the ball, hinders the runner. "Hinders" does not equal "block the plate," though blocking the plate definitely qualifies. Standing in the way a step or two towards third could be hindering.

In this picture, the runner seems to have found the plate, so the point to me seems to be moot. Had she not, then different umpires will call this "differerntly."

The catcher can't decide what part of the plate the runner has access to (i.e. "but blue, the catcher was only blocking part of the plate, the runner could have gone to the other side"). The runner gets to choose whatever part of the plate she wants. Again, in this picture, it appears that the runner had clear access to all of the plate.

"scfan": The rule used to say "about to receive" (I think the NCAA rules may still), which is a pretty vague term. Some coaches wanted to interpret that pretty loosely and have the catcher always blocking the plate, making for collisions that were really unnecessary. Possession is a pretty clear and unabiguous standard. Now the abiguity is all in the umpire's judgment of "hinders."

 

Exactly !!

No obstruction she has full length of the side to touch !! Obstruction 9 times out of 10 is a judgement call anyways !!

Guru

 

I'm a catcher for TB and high school but i still don't understand the rule for obstruction. Is there a differnce between TB and HS?? The way I block the plate is to put my knee down and I've been called for it once or twice but if I'm recieving the ball why should I hav to move, catch the ball, get back to the plate and make the tag? It seems to me like we're making it too easy for the runners. Just in my opinion.

 

You cannot do that because the rules say you can't. There is no real difference from ASA or High School. What they (the ruling sanctions) are trying to do is prevent injuries to players. Most all sanctions (High School, ASA, NSA, Pony) require that a fielder have possesion of the ball in order to block a base from an oncoming runner.

There are several things to consider.

1. Runners cannot intentionally bulldoze a fielder. They do not have to slide, they can stay upright. (in HS, runners cannot hurdle a fielder unless the fielder is laying on the ground)
2. Fielders must give access to a base to an oncoming runner unless they have possesion of the ball. Access to still an objective call by the umpire.

jasmynlindsay, has any of your coaches ever had you and your teammates actually read the rulebook. I have found that players do not know the rules because they have never been required to read the book. This is not really your fault. I blame the coaches for not fully instructing their players.

I am starting to wander off topic a little bit here but how many players know how to handle an appeal play? If players (and coaches and parents) actually read the rulebook, then the game would a little more pleasant.