Jay R.

Need more information to discuss your play; namely, who did the coach think was obstructing the runner, and what action obstructed the runner? I can see a couple possible scenarios that might be obstruction even if the runner is running in fair territory: 1. A weak hit to the right side of the infield causes multiple fielders to head that way. If, say, F2 fields the ball, F3 covers first, and F1 peels away from the catcher but into BR's path, you could have obstruction before the throw. There's a classic MLB obstruction call (can't find the video) where both F1 and F3 tried to field a slow roller up the line and obstruction was called because they both couldn't be the protected fielder. IIRC the runner was in fair territory. 2. If F3 set up in a way to block access to the bag, such as straddling the ball while awaiting the throw from the catcher, I could see an obstruction call if the runner actually slowed down to avoid trucking him.

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association told baseball umpires not to tolerate it. First instance, team warning; subsequent ejection.

If this is a high school game, this is probably grounds for a protest. The only way it's interference (and thus an out) is if the bat prevents the catcher from participating in the play, which doesn't sound like the case here. Alternatively, if this is a rec league that uses NFHS rules, there could be a local modification that thrown bats are outs. As @BigBlue4u hinted at, this is only a problem at lower levels, which means only Little League has a consistent method of dealing with this. Warn, then give the opportunity for the coach to remove the player, then eject if necessary. If the same player did it twice egregiousy in a high school game, I would consider ejecting or restricting to the bench, but I don't think there's any grounds for an out as described.

No play, but I did have it happen in a game last year. I was PU, rotated to second and then third, saw it was going to be a stand-up triple and glanced home in time to see my partner busting back and yelling, "I'm here, Jay!" After the game we both bemoaned the fact that he stopped at third.

In the OP, I have the runner out for running the bases out of order (after the clarification after the Segura play).

Are they providing: -- a uniform (or elements of one, or discount with a uniform and gear supplier)? -- insurance (or discount for participation in a group plan)? -- NASO membership? My HS chapter doesn't, but our fees aren't outlandish ($50ish to the state, $25ish to the local chapter). We get a rulebook and chapter fees pay for Arbiter and a few other small things. I have been in orgs that provide shirts and caps as well as insurance discounts.

Alan Porter just gave a very slow call on the Betts error in the top of the 8th, in a play very similar to the one described here. I wonder if there was vocalization.

What about this is unclear?

Link or source? I'm interested.

Thanks all @Velho: No coach at first base at the time---leadoff batter, offensive dugout was on the other side, no one had gotten there yet. Re @MadMax's comments: -- Your points about the competitive level are noted. -- My partner is, in fact, an officer in my NFHS chapter---not sure if he's an evaluator per se but, as this is my first year in NFHS, he was watching me on the plate to form an opinion. @beerguy55: Genuinely asking: What would your mechanics be on the initial play? In both my current chapter and previous work in a different state, I've been taught to go with either a no call if the ball is clearly away, or perhaps a slow safe to acknowledge the attempt (which, as I said, don't think would've helped the runner here---if he doesn't see the ball bounce away from F3, I don't think he's going to see U1, set up between 1B and 2B, make a safe call. I guess I also tend to default to what I was coached, coached my kids when they played, and hear coached around me: If you're not sure what happened, stay on the base and let the umpire tell you you're out (or foul ball, or whatever). To one of Max's points: I see how it happened but I think the rulebook and tradition puts some onus on the runners (and the offensive team, including coaches and dugout) to be aware of what's going on. If he turns around and says, "They got me, right?" I have no problem saying, "No, he dropped it, you're safe." (And if my timing is off or I otherwise do something that might actively confuse them, I have no problem calling time and proactively saying something---I did that on a dropped double-play ball this spring where I brought up a fist before F6 caught it, much less turned it.) But on anything where a ball bounces out of reach of a fielder, I feel like offering a call and a reason can be aiding the offense.

I am rather surprised that the responses are clamoring for a safe call at first. I thought that would be less controversial (no ball no call; everyone watching the play saw what happened). At any age level, the most I'm giving this is a slow, obvious safe sign with no vocalization, and I'm not sure that would have helped the runner here. Yelling "safe" and pointing to a ball 10+ feet away from the base seems to be aiding the players (contra a case where the ball is trapped and not picked up cleanly by the first baseman, but stays near where he touched it). I have seen much closer plays no-called by high-level umpires. Would you yell "Safe" and point to the fence if the ball got past the first baseman? If not, what do you do? If nothing, why do something here? (Asking honestly.) I also don't like the idea of calling it, and haven't, but this seems to be a case where it would be warranted. From the rulebook comment: "Any runner after reaching first base who leaves the base path heading for his dugout or his position believing that there is no further play, may be declared out if the umpire judges the act of the runner to be considered abandoning his efforts to run the bases."

Over-35 men's league, using modified OBR. I'm on the plate with a partner on the bases. No outs and no one on. Batter grounds to F5, who deliberately skips the ball across the infield to keep it out of the sun. F3 scoops, but the ball hits his glove and pops high in the air away from him. Batter-runner touches first as he runs through. Base umpire makes no signal or audible call (understandably, in my opinion; it's obvious that the ball was never caught). Batter circles back, touches first again, and continues toward home (presumably heading for his dugout on the third base side). The defense starts pointing at him and calling about him being off the base, while the offensive dugout starts yelling that he was safe. Around the 45-foot mark, the batter realizes that he was safe and turns around. The ball is fielded back to the first baseman, who tags him while he is returning to the base. My partner calls him out at that point. Questions that arose from this play (my answers in parentheses): -- Was my partner right to not make a call? (Yes) -- Assuming that the umpire was right not to make a call, at what point do you call abandonment? One potential complicating factor is that this league has pretty liberal courtesy runner rules; my partner's initial thought was that the runner was leaving for a CR. (I was getting ready to call it when the runner turned around. "Any runner is out when: (2) After touching first base, he leaves the base path, obviously abandoning his effort to touch the next base.") -- Is there any scenario in which the tag would not have sufficed for an out call? The runner (politely) argued that he never made a move toward second. (No. If it's not abandonment, by retouching first he had become a normal runner, and is subject to being tagged out.) -- Could the defense have appealed by tagging the base instead of tagging the runner? (No; he had legally returned to the base and now has to be tagged if he's off the base.) Happy to hear any other thoughts that come to mind, too.

I actually don't hate this. Time limits mess with the game in weird ways (notably by reverting to last completed inning if you hit a drop-dead time) and this seems like a reasonable way out of it. Also, it allows a team that's up big in a non-mercy situation to end it.

In MLB and youth rule codes that modify the MLB's rule set, it's Official Baseball Rule 5.06(b)(3)(C): Note that the rule says "any out-of-play area" and makes no distinction of a fair or foul ball. Same ruling in effect in all codes. If you know the base rule set being used for your game (eg, Little League, high school, or NCAA) someone can get you the rule number if you're curious.

I agree with the above on most levels of baseball. I think in Little League this becomes a much closer play, depending on whether you judge that the runner attempted to go around the catcher, and whether the catcher was "waiting" to make the tag. As described my first reaction is that I would call the runner out but not eject, though I can see it going either way. I don't think Babe Ruth has any similar language, scanning their rulebook. If there's a local rule that puts the onus on the runner to "avoid contact" on tag plays, even if it's badly thought out, this is probably an out.

The replay officials

What year is this in the rulebook? It's not in the 2025, 2022, or 2021 editions---the only one-base awards in 5.06(b)(4) are for a pitched ball out of play, or for ball four lodging somewhere. There's also no such language in 5.06(b)(3) (advancing runners other than the batter). Or is this an interp somewhere?

You have to touch the base your last time by it. Full explanation here:

1. The coach probably shouldn't discuss that call with the umpire, at least not for long. That's a $50 call---pay another $50 for a second umpire, and then they shouldn't both miss it. I was coaching a 10U team in a tournament and a player touched first base as he ran through, circled back in foul territory toward the base, then ran to second, passing between home and first without touching the base again as my team tried to get another runner out. I appealed the missed base at first, got a safe call, and asked for time. I asked the umpire what he saw; he said he saw him touch the base the first time, focused on following action at the other base, and didn't see anything after that. I said that the runner circled completely around the base and missed it the next time, but I understood why the umpire didn't see it, thanked him, and walked away. 2. They should ignore it. It's incumbent on teams to know the rules governing, for example, U3K and infield fly. Those probably shouldn't be in effect at 10U, but if you're teaching them, teach them to know the rules and play accordingly. 3. A signaled time is time out. That said, managing time out and time in play is something most amateur umpires are, frankly, not very good at. I wish I could give you more concrete advice. Given what's happening in the league, you may be better served asking a league official. Failing that, you may want to join the board and force them to clarify what their rules are, including base rule set for anything not covered by local rules.

Also, sincere kudos to the announcer for simply saying that he doesn't know the rule about when the fielder is out of play, rather than making something up.

This is what the LL chapter that I worked for was looking for as a best-case scenario: The manager removes him from the lineup, we interpret it (at least in the regular season) as an injury that prevents batting (and is thus not an out), but the player is still eligible to play the field and avoids the suspension that comes with an ejection.

I guess Alexandria pays better, but Arlington's cancellation policy is better

This is the issue. Some younger kids have the habit of throwing the bat, and 10- and 12-year-olds are strong enough to cause injury with them. When you watch the same batter throw the bat past your head in his first at-bat and hard into the catcher's shins the second at-bat, he can't get a third at-bat that game.

Absent a local rule that specifies that the batter is out, in youth leagues I would probably treat it like Little League---delayed dead ball, warning on the first offense, removal by the coach or ejection (coach can pick) for safety reasons on the second. I agree with @beerguy55: You can't give each player a warning. One per team is plenty, especially if they're as dramatic as you describe here. If you notice that bats are ending up in weird spots but don't want to officially warn or eject, you can quietly point out additional occurrences to the coach if you want, to build your case for the eventual ejection. At least in Little League (not sure about Ripken) an ejection comes with an automatic one-game suspension. When reminded of this, most coaches will choose to remove the player. The play in the OP would stand, assuming that you judge that the thrown bat did not interfere with the defense's ability to play on the ball or runners.

Agree with @Grayhawk on that being a typical setup. I will say that a Little League I worked in had a standard that the half-game fee was in place until the plate meeting.