obstruction...

let me see if i can get this right...

bases loaded, sharp hit to center, runner on 3rd scores..runner on 2nd rounds 3rd and stops, runner on 1st rounds second and runs into ss in basepath, umpire calls obstruction..she runs on to 3rd where runner has stalled. runner on 3rd then runs to home where throw from center gets her tagged out. coaches argued that if ump called obs., then runner from 2nd gets awarded 3rd and girl on 3rd awarded home. i dont think thats correct since u cant award a bag thats already occupied. had no bearing on the game, just curious if the ump got it right....

 

Umps got it right

The obstruction was on the runner from 2nd to 3rd, not on the runner from 3rd to home. The runner on 3rd has no right to home since she was not interfered with. Since 3rd was occupied, runner on 2 should have been sent back to 2nd and the play should have been over. Since the runner at 3 vacated 3rd, she became liable to be put out.

 

What if...

the runner from third was already on her way home before the obstruction call and got tagged out? Would the runner from 2nd get to go to 3rd?

 

the runner on 3rd only ran because the runner from 2nd got to the bag..she had no idea of where the ball was nor the obs. call.

once obs was called is the play over since base was occupied??

 

Obstruction is a 'delayed dead ball'. It only protects the runner from being put out to the point the umpire believes she would have gotten to had there been no obstruction. It in no way protects the other runners. If there was a runner on 3rd, she is not protected in any way. The runner at second would have probably been protected getting back to 2nd. When the runner at third vacated it, she was liable to be put out. If the obs happened between 2nd and 3rd, if the runner at third had been safe at home and in the umps judgement, the runner from 2nd would have reached 3rd if she had not been obs, the delayed dead ball would have been enforced at that time and she would have been awarded 3rd.