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NCAA rules, whaddya got?

This should generate some discussion. http://m.mlb.com/video/v35758245 announcers

Batter hits a ball past outfield, rounding first the first baseman is in his way, he avoids the first baseman by changing his path, which slows the running some. Going to second, the runner is out by 15 feet and, in my judgement would have been out by at least 10 feet. Is this obstruction?

A few years ago I was shown a video of a crazy play. I believe it was a minor league game. BR hits a single to right, while rounding first make contact with F3 (obstruction), There is a play put on him at second and he interferes with the thrown (interference) and the throw goes past F3. The first base coach pushes him twords second base because of the over throw (coaches interference). There is if I recall an umpire in A who is watching this and does not make a call. Does anyone know the video I am referring to and can post the link here?

11U, LL 50-70. No runners. D3K, ball rolls behind LH batters box, B1 takes off. I bust in from A and get a 90 angle, about 12-15 feet fair. F2 picks up the ball, and instead of throwing immediately, he moves back to the foul line and then throws. B1 was not a ball of fire (nor F2), as he was coming up the line I was filing my nails waiting and I noticed that B1 was in the lane at 2/3 up the line (PU call, I know). Here's the point: F3 set up on the middle of the bag to receive the throw. A split second before the ball arrived, B1 must have seen F3's glove come up to catch the ball (or he has eyes in the back of his head), because he just barely ducked, and his last step before the ball arrived just barely slowed down. No collision, but B1 stopped after F3 caught the ball (hard to say if it was due to lack of motivation or to avoid a near miss). B1 was about 6 feet short of the bag when F3 received the ball. Out by a mile; I rung him up. (This was a mentoring game for me under UIC PU). After the inning was over at our training meeting there was no comment on the play. OT HC approached PU and asked about possible OBS. PU "No OBS, there must be contact". (?) Maybe I've read too much Papa C, "If he's gonna be out, he's gonna be out" and "Don't make an unusual call on a routine play", etc., but I want to own the call and get it right. Did I kick the OBS call? (I've learned a lot from this site, thanks) Flame on

This situation came up last week: 1 out runners at second and third. VT batting. Pitch comes in and batter swings and contacts F2's mitt and also hits the ball fair toward F1. BR breaks for first and R1 breaks for home. F1 fields and throws behind the runner to third just as the runner turns to run back to third. Run down pursues ending with R1 getting tagged out. BR made it to first easily during the rundown. It was ruled that BR was safe at first so the award on the obstruction was ignored and the runner tagged out would return to third as he was not stealing or squeezing on the play. (the coach was asked and he answered that the runner was NOT stealing or squeezing). Opinions?

I'd like to believe I understand the obstruction concept (intentional, in advertent, whatever the reason) but I am still unsure about this facet of the rule: For baseball or softball: I understand that the runner is protected to the base we feel they would have reached had obstruction not occurred (like in the world series throw to the plate)... but what I am unsure of is what happens if the runner extends the play: Examples: R1 on 2nd base, ground ball to 2nd baseman and shortstop obstructs R1 between 2nd and 3rd. Throw goes to first then R1 tries to take home after the out at first. He's out at home on the play. Was he only protected to 3rd base? Now suppose same play and ball gets past first baseman on throw to first, now runner is out at home but on a very close play. The obstruction slowed the runner from 2nd to 3rd, without that obstruction the runner probably scores easily when first baseman drops the ball? I guess my question is this: do we have the right to nullify the out if we feel the runner could have obtained a base without the obstruction if play is extended? Some umpires I know say we only protect them to the next base they could have obtained. Last part of this question: R2 on 2nd, R1 on 1st, ground ball to 3rd baseman, R2 obstructed by shortstop on way to 3rd but 3rd baseman steps on 3rd for force out. Out by a mile. Would have been out even if no obstruction. Safe at 3rd because of obstruction or out because R2 wouldn't have made it anyway. Thanks for the help!

Ok, I'll try to keep this short .......   JV DH on Saturday.... game doesn't matter, outs don't matter...... here's the bottom line:   Home team has this move they pull when there's a runner on second where the shortstop shuffles his feet behind R2, then basically runs around in front of him while he's leading off in an attempt to distract.    VTHC asks for us to keep an eye out for it, ...ok, no problem, he says thanks, etc ...   It happens again, and VTHC says this time that F6 brushed up against R2, but same sitch as above, R2 is standing there getting a lead-off ....   Now, VTHC wants obstruction because he saw contact... .....   Discuss ....

interesting ...................   http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=27112445&topic_id=&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_27112445&v=3  

Had this happen to me tonight. I'm behind the plate. 1 out. R1 at 2nd R2 at 1st. Ground ball to F6, he bobbles the ball so badly that his throw to 2nd is too late to get the force on R2. R2 slides so hard that he overslides the base and into the fielder who is hurt and does not tag him. He quickly crawls back to the bag before he is tagged. What would you call?

Tonight in a game there was a runner on first and second when there was a slow ground ball hit to the third base side of the pitcher. The pitcher fielded it before it passed the mound (I only state this to let you know it was his play all of the way). During the play, the runners were attempting to advance when the shortstop ran into the runner definitely slowing him down and allowing the pitcher to get the force out at third. I know the fielder has priority on a batted ball over the runner, but what about when another fielder (the pitcher) fields (or touches) the ball before the shortstop has a chance to field it. At this time, has the shortstop obstructed the runner? He was initially making his move to field the ball, but the pitcher became the fielder on this play. Thoughts? Rules? Thanks!

hi. i am a new ump and am unfamiliar with ubstruction and when to call it. It seems vague to me. What is the correct understanding and rule? Also is it ok to wear prescription glasses under my mask? I am starting umpiring younger kids, what protection do i need- i have chest, shins, facemask?

Had a varsity game today. I had the bases. Turned into a a good ball game. We get to bottom seven, Home Team is down by 1. They manage to tie the game and get to bases loaded with 1 out. HT tries to squeeze, batter misses. We get a run down on R3. F2 chases him back towards 3rd. F2 throws ball towards F5, contact is made between F5 and R3. Ball drops to ground as F5 tries to catch it, and R3 makes it back to 3rd. HC for Home team immediately points and says "That's interference". We won't get into his arguing the wrong rule, but he actually knew the rule for obstruction, he used the term "possesion of the ball". I get together with my partner, we discuss the call, he tells me he has nothing to offer me. I end up calling it a "nothing", and the HC for Home Team called it a "covering your ass" call. In retrospect after the game, I have to say I think he is right. I didn't have the balls to end the game on a controversial call. They ended up winning on a passed ball 2 pitches later. In replaying the play afterwards, it should have been obstruction, F5 never had possession of the ball when R3 was trying to get back. Makes me upset at myself that I wasn't willing to make the call and stand beside it, and took the easy way out because of the circumstances. I talked myself out of obstruction, and I know it in my own head that i didn't man up. It is a definite learning moment for me, and I won't be afraid to make the call again. Make the call and own it, no matter the situation.

Matheny: MLB should do away with home-plate collisions FORT MYERS, Fla. • Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, who earned a hard-nosed reputation for his play behind the plate during a Gold Glove career at catcher, said that he no longer believes collisions at home plate have a place in baseball. He believes the danger is too great and the rule book should change so that head-hunting culture does, too. http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinal-beat/matheny-mlb-should-do-away-with-home-plate-collisions/article_09be35e9-626a-54b7-840f-81e208d1d4ba.html [Terry Francona disagrees] Home-plate collisions prompt debate for Terry Francona, Cardinals' Mike Matheny: Cleveland Indians Insider By Paul Hoynes, Plain Dealer February 27, 2013 GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Terry Francona respects St. Louis manager Mike Matheny, but doesn't agree that home-plate collisions should be removed from the game. http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2013/02/home-plate_collisions_prompt_d.html

A couple of situations or plays that I had last night. I wanted to run them by you. I had the pot for the game. This is JV, FED rules. My partner is a very senior guy, in his 60's. No one on. Outs don't matter. Had a dropped strike 3. Ball rolls away a bit. The B/R starts running to 1st, he is in the running lane. Catcher yells outside, throws the ball, and hits the B/R in the back. B/R makes it to 1st safely. My partner goes "No no no, we got an out here." The offensive head coach comes out to argue. I creep up towards the conversation to listen. My partner's explanation is that since the defense yelled "outside" that the B/R has to be on the inside of the line. The coach of course was unhappy, and said "So it's up to my player to listen for the call, and move accordingly? So that means we could just lie if we were on defense." He asked my partner to get help or ask me. My partner didn't. The coach comes and asks me to get with him. I called my partner over, and I told him I thought he was applying the rule incorrectly. The B/R has every right to be in the runner's lane, that is what it is there for, and it is up to the defense to work around him. He told me he disagreed, and that he was 100% right, but that I was the man in charge and it was up to me. I reversed the call, and the defensive head coach comes out to discuss the call with me. He asked me how I could overturn my partner's call. I told him because it was a rule misapplication and not a judgement call that I was changing it. Between innings he told me he knew I was right, but that he had to come out since I changed it. So 2 questions. 1. Did I apply the rule correctly? I am 100% positive I did, but I could be wrong. 2. Was I wrong to step in and overturn my partner? I never would on a judgement call, but I felt I had to on what I believed to be an incorrect rule interpretation. Situation 2. Later in the game. R1 and R3. R1 walks off and tries to get in a run down. F1 steps off and catches R1 in a pickle. R3 breaks for home and they throw to F2. F2 is standing in the middle of the base path. R3 slows to a stop about 2-3 ft from F2 as the ball is coming in to F2 because he thinks he is gonna catch the ball. F2 drops the throw, and R3 then comes to a stop and turns around back to 3rd because F2 is in his way. He makes it safely back to 3rd. I call time and award R3 home on obstruction. F2 never had possesion of the ball and was squarely in the base path. The defensive coach came out to argue and I stated my position. Did I make the right call here probably? I realize it is probably a had to be there play. R3 didn't want to truck F2 since he looked like he was gonna make the play, but then F2 didn't make the play. Thanks for your input guys.

HS varsity game / <acronym title='Federation Rules (High School)'>FED</acronym>: Runner on first. After the pitch, the catcher tries to pick <acronym title='Base runner at 1B'>R1</acronym> off of first. <acronym title='First baseman'>F3 </acronym>intentionally blocks the bag without the ball and is called for obstruction, but <acronym title='Base runner at 1B'>R1</acronym> is only "awarded" 1B. Isn't <acronym title='Obstruction'>OBS</acronym> always a minimum of 1 base reward even if <acronym title='Base runner at 1B'>R1</acronym> was trying to go back to 1B?