What constitutes obstruction in example #3? Here, the runner was still 6 feet from contact when F3 clearly had the ball. Why would F3's action here be any different than clearly possessing the ball before blocking a sliding runner?
Because getting in the way of someone with the ball is different that sticking your leg out or grabbing on to them. I suppose they could have called for unsportsmenlike conduct and tossed her but obstruction is probably better.
She did have have possession,,, but,, without grapping ,and sticking out the leg she would not have made the tag of touched the bag. Obstruction doesn't have to be intentional. Looks like she was trying not to fall down to me ,but it's still obstruction.
Nice commentary and explanation of these examples of obstruction. As a USA Umpire in Ann Arbor Michigan in the adult recreational softball leagues. Obstruction is a fun rule to dive into, as it is an umpire's judgment. Bang bang play's with slight of foot movements are difficult to spot in a single umpire games. But remembering these actions can help keep the teams playing with the integrity to the rules.
Hey there. Thanks for these videos. I am new to officiating softball and because of a bad back I’m only going to be doing bases. Is there any instructional videos that would help me isolate the things I need to learn to do bases first. Because there is a lot to learn.
Yah in the Oklahoma game you could also have 1st baseman intentionally maliciously kicking the runner as well. That’s my judgement along with the other obvious wrapping her right on around the batter runner. Never seen any 1st baseman kick up there leg on a wild throw to 1st. Now the other rule with runner coming into any bag excluding 1st base is interference if they do not slide at the base cannot bulldoze there way running into home plate for example on a obvious play catcher clearly has ball the runner is 2 and a half strides away and comes in standing can we cover this rule also which is new or has been out now a couple years
On the #2 video...I lean more to a no call...the runner had a clear path...the catcher only made a play on her when she possessed the ball..the runner did not deviate and the catcher does have the right to make a play on the runner including blocking the plate once in possession of the ball. Every rule I've looked up (and since I stopped playing a long time ago and wanted to see any changes) says exactly what I stated..
happens more so in kids baseball. say a kid hit the ball to short stop, ran to first. The shortstop throws the ball to first. is a bad.ish throw that brings the first baseman off the base to the left as the runner is running down the line and near the base. the runner runs into the first baseman as he tries to adjust to the ball. well they miss the ball too cause was a horrible throw. what is the call ?
The call is "obstruction". In the case of the video above it is obstruction more so the first baseman stuck her leg out to block the runner which is what obstruction is.
I’ve got nothing, the obstruction he is referring to is the fact she clearly wraps her right arm around the runner. That’s the obstruction but I also have malicious intent kicking her leg up and out. That’s not a normal range of motion when you leap out from a badly thrown ball to 1st base. Never seen it till that game. And that game is from 2017
Never reward the defense for a bad throw. A couple years ago we had a game where the throw took the 1B into the runner in front of the bag and the runner broke his arm. That runner was in his lane, the throw was bad and though the 1B got injured its a no-call.
My only comment would be on the Florida 1st baseman. You only commented on the grab. I would have called the leg sweep. And I would have called it malicious contact.
I disagree with the Obstruction interpretation for the 2nd play with the catcher and the pay at the plate. This is not an obvious obstruction call. My judgement is that the ball was obtained just before the contact with a runner. The runner was never impeded (veer, stutter, change direction, slow down, contact made , etc.) until after the catcher caught the ball. Once the defender has possession of the ball, and no prior impedance occurred, there is no more obstruction to consider. Being that the runner continued the whole way without being impeded and the contact on that play happened after the catcher obtained the ball (or at least almost simultaneously and you have to slow down the video to see it), I would judge (seeing it at full speed) this as a legal play.
I called a runner out at first base who was intentionally obstructing the fielding of the ball to the first basemen. The first base runner left first base when the ball was struck and decided to waffled back and forth in front of the ball to impede the first baseman from locating the grounder. When I called that obstruction the entire team spilled out into the field to object. A simple explanation quelled their concern at my obstruction call they didn't even know existed. I've also been on the other side where there was obstruction that I didn't call. The batter hits a pop up right on the first base line and collides with the pitcher trying to catch the ball. The pitcher misses the fair ball and the runner made it to first base. Someone from off the bleachers started yelling "OBSTRUCTION"! I didn't call it because I was still trying to make up my mind over whether it was intentional or not. The collision was unintentional but that was a clear case of obstruction.
You are an umpire and you don't know the difference between obstruction and interference? And just some advice, always protect the fielder when they are fielding the batted ball. That pitcher was interfered with no matter where she was. But especially since she was in FAIR territory that is the easiest of calls. Please get these easy ones right before trying to judge the bang bang difficult ones. It will only help your reputation.
That's terrible. You can't call obstruction on the offense. It's not a thing. The correct call would have been interference. Ruling OBS on the offense is a protestable mistake.
Great video and explanation, but please - Drop the distracting background music....
Thanks for the clarification.
Good stuff.
Youngs out there if a catcher squats like that, slide feet first and make sure both your feet make contact with hes/her chest...is perfectly legal
3rd.example the batter actually touches the bag before the tag is applied
I watched that OU game. Called out the obstruction as it happened and could not believe the umpires did not call it.
What constitutes obstruction in example #3? Here, the runner was still 6 feet from contact when F3 clearly had the ball. Why would F3's action here be any different than clearly possessing the ball before blocking a sliding runner?
Because getting in the way of someone with the ball is different that sticking your leg out or grabbing on to them. I suppose they could have called for unsportsmenlike conduct and tossed her but obstruction is probably better.
She did have have possession,,, but,, without grapping ,and sticking out the leg she would not have made the tag of touched the bag. Obstruction doesn't have to be intentional. Looks like she was trying not to fall down to me ,but it's still obstruction.
She impeded the base path by sticking her leg out AND literally grabbing the runner. You can't do that even if you have the ball.
Even in slow motion you can’t see that her leg made contact with the runner first, then her throwing arm, then she made the tag?!
Nice commentary and explanation of these examples of obstruction. As a USA Umpire in Ann Arbor Michigan in the adult recreational softball leagues.
Obstruction is a fun rule to dive into, as it is an umpire's judgment.
Bang bang play's with slight of foot movements are difficult to spot in a single umpire games. But remembering these actions can help keep the teams playing with the integrity to the rules.
Hey there. Thanks for these videos. I am new to officiating softball and because of a bad back I’m only going to be doing bases. Is there any instructional videos that would help me isolate the things I need to learn to do bases first. Because there is a lot to learn.
Yah in the Oklahoma game you could also have 1st baseman intentionally maliciously kicking the runner as well. That’s my judgement along with the other obvious wrapping her right on around the batter runner. Never seen any 1st baseman kick up there leg on a wild throw to 1st.
Now the other rule with runner coming into any bag excluding 1st base is interference if they do not slide at the base cannot bulldoze there way running into home plate for example on a obvious play catcher clearly has ball the runner is 2 and a half strides away and comes in standing can we cover this rule also which is new or has been out now a couple years
On the #2 video...I lean more to a no call...the runner had a clear path...the catcher only made a play on her when she possessed the ball..the runner did not deviate and the catcher does have the right to make a play on the runner including blocking the plate once in possession of the ball. Every rule I've looked up (and since I stopped playing a long time ago and wanted to see any changes) says exactly what I stated..
The rule was changed in 2018
The low kick by the first basemen is never legal. Hopefully it didnt hold up.
happens more so in kids baseball. say a kid hit the ball to short stop, ran to first. The shortstop throws the ball to first. is a bad.ish throw that brings the first baseman off the base to the left as the runner is running down the line and near the base. the runner runs into the first baseman as he tries to adjust to the ball. well they miss the ball too cause was a horrible throw. what is the call ?
The call is "obstruction". In the case of the video above it is obstruction more so the first baseman stuck her leg out to block the runner which is what obstruction is.
I’ve got nothing, the obstruction he is referring to is the fact she clearly wraps her right arm around the runner. That’s the obstruction but I also have malicious intent kicking her leg up and out. That’s not a normal range of motion when you leap out from a badly thrown ball to 1st base. Never seen it till that game. And that game is from 2017
Never reward the defense for a bad throw. A couple years ago we had a game where the throw took the 1B into the runner in front of the bag and the runner broke his arm. That runner was in his lane, the throw was bad and though the 1B got injured its a no-call.
My only comment would be on the Florida 1st baseman. You only commented on the grab. I would have called the leg sweep. And I would have called it malicious contact.
Boom that’s what I have also. That’s not a normal motion clearly see her lift her leg upwards and outwards.
I disagree with the Obstruction interpretation for the 2nd play with the catcher and the pay at the plate. This is not an obvious obstruction call. My judgement is that the ball was obtained just before the contact with a runner. The runner was never impeded (veer, stutter, change direction, slow down, contact made , etc.) until after the catcher caught the ball. Once the defender has possession of the ball, and no prior impedance occurred, there is no more obstruction to consider. Being that the runner continued the whole way without being impeded and the contact on that play happened after the catcher obtained the ball (or at least almost simultaneously and you have to slow down the video to see it), I would judge (seeing it at full speed) this as a legal play.
I called a runner out at first base who was intentionally obstructing the fielding of the ball to the first basemen. The first base runner left first base when the ball was struck and decided to waffled back and forth in front of the ball to impede the first baseman from locating the grounder. When I called that obstruction the entire team spilled out into the field to object. A simple explanation quelled their concern at my obstruction call they didn't even know existed.
I've also been on the other side where there was obstruction that I didn't call. The batter hits a pop up right on the first base line and collides with the pitcher trying to catch the ball. The pitcher misses the fair ball and the runner made it to first base. Someone from off the bleachers started yelling "OBSTRUCTION"! I didn't call it because I was still trying to make up my mind over whether it was intentional or not. The collision was unintentional but that was a clear case of obstruction.
That should have been a really short game since every player who left the dugout should have been ejected.
Dead wrong. Batter out for interfering with pitcher fielding a batted ball.
You are an umpire and you don't know the difference between obstruction and interference? And just some advice, always protect the fielder when they are fielding the batted ball. That pitcher was interfered with no matter where she was. But especially since she was in FAIR territory that is the easiest of calls. Please get these easy ones right before trying to judge the bang bang difficult ones. It will only help your reputation.
That's terrible. You can't call obstruction on the offense. It's not a thing. The correct call would have been interference. Ruling OBS on the offense is a protestable mistake.