Obstruction base minimums

[Zachary]

I am a coach and have gotten lots of mixed answers and calls from umpires regarding obstruction. One play in particular when my team was in the field. R2, two outs. Ball hit to sharply to the outfield, our third baseman gets in the runner's way after he has touched third base and is running home (after he rounded third base). The runner decided to stop his pursuit of home and go back to third. The throw was on the money. Obstruction was called, but the umpires said he would have been out even without the obstruction so they kept him on third. Isn't there a one base minimum? I'm thinking we were on the right side of a call here. 

Similar hypothetical, but R1 one out. One hop to shortstop, tailor made double play. First baseman is standing in baseline and obstructs R1. Double play is completed (and easily would have been even without the obstruction). Does R1 get second base here? I assume the out at first base would still stand? I often hear umpires say the goal is to negate the OBS, but I assume this is referring to anything outside of the one base minimum?

[Velho]

What rule set? It makes a difference in answering.

[Zachary]

15 minutes ago, Velho said:

What rule set? It makes a difference in answering.

NFHS

[noumpere]

59 minutes ago, Zachary said:

NFHS

NFHS has a one base minimum award for the obstructed runner.

 

OBR has a one-base minimum only if a play is being attempted on the obstructed runner.

[834k3r]

2 hours ago, Zachary said:

I am a coach and have gotten lots of mixed answers and calls from umpires regarding obstruction. One play in particular when my team was in the field. R2, two outs. Ball hit to sharply to the outfield, our third baseman gets in the runner's way after he has touched third base and is running home (after he rounded third base). The runner decided to stop his pursuit of home and go back to third. The throw was on the money. Obstruction was called...

1 hour ago, Zachary said:

NFHS

There's a fair amount of HTBT in this, but based on these two posts I'd award the runner home (one base after the last legally touched base).

[Velho]

46 minutes ago, 834k3r said:

There's a fair amount of HTBT in this, but based on these two posts I'd award the runner home (one base after the last legally touched base).

Once you call Obstruction in NFHS you have too. The question is whether or not you call Obstruction in the first place.

[The Man in Blue]

9 hours ago, Zachary said:

I often here umpires say the goal is to negate the OBS, but I assume this is referring to anything outside of the one base minimum?

 

Then you have softball umpires calling baseball.  In softball, there is no automatic or minimum award.  The runner cannot be put out between the two bases where the obstruction occurred and awards should negate the obstruction.

Two key plays that I use to illustrate the difference between baseball and softball: diving back into a base and a rundown. 

If a runner diving back into a base is tagged "out" but was obstructed . . .

• In baseball, the runner is advanced to the next base even though they were going back. 
• In softball, the runner would just be placed back on the base.

If a runner is in a rundown and is obstructed going back to the base they started on and is then tagged out . . .

• In baseball, the runner is advanced to the next base even though they were going back. 
• In softball, the runner could be placed back on the base they started on OR they could be awarded the next base depending on what the umpire thinks was going to happen (e.g., if the obstruction occurred near the next base, the umpire may award the next base; if it occurred near the TOP base, the umpire is probably going to put the runner back).

 

Here is another way you can tell baseball umpire vs. softball umpire . . . If the obstructed runner is tagged out, do they immediately stop the play or leave the ball live until it naturally plays out?  Baseball leaves it live, softball kills it.