MLB Issues Rule 7.13 Plate Blocking Clarification

[Lindsay]

MLB issued a clarification of home plate collision Rule 7.13 this week, stating that even though the letter of the law requires catchers to allow runners a lane to score (and, in turn, requires runners to avoid unnecessary contact with catchers), "common sense" shall prevail, both in real time and...

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[afaber12]

So up until now 7.13 had been treated a lot like Type A obstruction: a play is being attempted on a runner who was impeded, award the runner the base. Now the shift seems to be to apply something more like the Type B standard: the runner only gets the base if the hindrance is what otherwise causes him to be out.

 

At face value that makes a certain amount of sense. But it seems like the change in application means that if the rule is violated, then obstruction should already have been called: the runner has been hindered by a fielder not in possession of the ball or in the act of fielding the ball.