UEFL Case Play 2018-5 - Open Baseline Tackle

[Lindsay]

We head into the All-Star Break with our second oddity of the weekend, this time a Case Play that asks what happens when an airborne fielder and runner collide on the base paths—interference or obstruction, block or charge? 3B Umpire Shane Livensparger signals "safe."The Play: With one out and two...

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[Thunderheads]

Ok, real quickly ... I'd have to agree w/ the call on the field ....  I'll  be interested to see how the 'case play' plays out

[Stk004]

On 7/16/2018 at 4:16 AM, Thunderheads said:

Ok, real quickly ... I'd have to agree w/ the call on the field ....  I'll  be interested to see how the 'case play' plays out

Gil's solution has been posted. 

Whether or not this is obstruction seems to depend on how much allowance F5 is given to complete the throw. The collision happens after the throw is released but before F5 had time to come back down or otherwise react to R2. If the throw is considered complete once it leaves his hand, I'd imagine this has to be obstruction, right? R2's progress was undoubtedly impeded by F5 laying on top of him. If the defense tries to play on him after the BR is safe, retroactively calling obstruction doesn't seem to be the right way to handle the situation. Had they played on R2, there's no doubt that he was impeded. On the other hand, if F5 is permitted to come down to the ground under the premise of completing the throw or "fielding the ball," then I'd agree with Gil's analysis.