Obstruction or Nothing?

[Pops]

Just when I thought I had obstruction understood, I am now second-guessing myself on a play at the plate yesterday.

HS Varsity level, 2 out, R2, batter singles to center.  F8 makes a long throw home to stop R2 from scoring.  When the ball is in flight, F2 is standing on the first base side of the plate when the ball starts slicing away to the opposite side of home.  F2 reacts to the movement of the ball by moving left and crossing over about 2 feet in front of the plate and 2 feet to the left of the plate to catch the throw.  During the movement of the ball and F2, R2 was within a stride or two of home, about 1 foot in foul territory, ready to do a fade away slide to avoid the tag. But when F2 moved to his left in front of the plate without the ball, R2 took a quick running step back toward fair territory, crossing the 3rd base line and slid to the first base side of home.  F2 put his tag down, and it was a real close play. I have R2 safe by a hair.

But I started to think about whether or not it should be obstruction.  Let's say R2 was tagged out.  After all, F2 (without the ball) crossed in front of R2 (within a stride or two before his slide). I know it is a HTBT, but should this be obstruction by rule? Remember, R2 is moving fast and had to change direction slightly to avoid the tag. I've had coaches say, "You have to give the fielder the right to catch the ball." F2 was acting on instinct when he went after the ball and wasn't thinking about obstruction. The play happened very fast.

[grayhawk]

It sounds to me like the runner had to adjust his path due to the catcher, without possession of the ball, being in his path to the plate.  It's obstruction in Fed and just baseball in OBR and NCAA.  The Fed rule puts the fielder in a no-win situation, so all he can do is attempt to glove the throw and make a play on the runner.  Sometimes it gets called, and sometimes it doesn't.  But it was the off-line throw that put the catcher in that position, so the defense just needs to make a better throw.