Little League Obstruction

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  • Post
    John Thimas
    Participant
    Hi All,

     

    Obstruction is sometimes difficult & this one is no exception.

    Setting:  8/9 year old LL tourney.

    The batter hits a ball to the outfield that gets by the outfielder.  When running into 2B, the SS, that is making no play, is standing on the base and the batter/runner, that is intending to run to 3B slows down and gets tangled up with the SS.  (The umpire signals obstruction at this point).

    It takes about 2 seconds for the batter/runner to get started again & he runs  through 3B & heads home.  The outfielder gets to the ball & throws it to the SS who relays it home & the catcher receives it & holds onto it when the runner is 15 feet from home & then tags the runner & the umpire calls him out.

    The coach tells the umpire that had it not been for the obstruction, his runner would have easily been safe at home.

    The umpire says that the runner would have only been awarded 3B due to the obstruction and that when he headed for home, he was now back at risk to be tagged out.

    The coach said that at a minimum, the runner should be placed back at 3B, but the umpire disagreed.

    What is the correct call?

    Thanks

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  • Replies
      Gerry
      Participant
      You as the umpire would on this paly have to determine how much the obstruction cost the runner. You state that it took about 2 seconds for the runner to untangle from F6…. How far can an unobstructed runner go in 2 seconds, it is also mentioned the runner slowed down because of F6 on the bag not just the tangle between F6 & the BR. If it’s 15 feet or more then the runner should have been signaled safe. If it’s not that much distance then the call was correct. Either way it’s a judgement call and if there was more than one umpire it would be okay if the crew got together to discuss this call. In this case they recovered the ball after they seemed to get it back to the infield quickly…..but there was more to the obstruction than just the tangle of the two at 2nd. I might have said no he’s safe on the obstruction and awarded him the base at home.

       

      Gerry G

      Gerry
      Participant
      You as the umpire would on this play have to determine how much the obstruction cost the runner. You state that it took about 2 seconds for the runner to untangle from F6…. How far can an unobstructed runner go in 2 seconds, it is also mentioned the runner slowed down because of F6 on the bag not just the tangle between F6 & the BR. If it’s 15 feet or more then the runner should have been signaled safe. If it’s not that much distance then the call was correct. Either way it’s a judgement call and if there was more than one umpire it would be okay if the crew got together to discuss this call. In this case they recovered the ball after they seemed to get it back to the infield quickly…..but there was more to the obstruction than just the tangle of the two at 2nd. I might have said no he’s safe on the obstruction and awarded him the base at home.

       

      Gerry G

      John Thimas
      Participant
      Thanks for the reply.

      I think that everyone watching would agree that the runner would’ve easily made it home. The issue was that the umpire would not make a judgment call. The three empires got together with a Director and they agreed that past third base, the runner was live, period

      The umpires refused to consider where the runner would’ve been had there been no obstruction.  That was the coach’s beef and of course, 1/2 of the parent’s beef.

      Fortunately, the tournament is over and I doubt anyone was so upset that they remember it now

      I coached select baseball for over 20 years and coached 10 years of semi pro. It really bothers me when an umpire doesn’t know the rules

      For example, twice in the last month I’ve seen home plate umpires shout “foul ball“ because a batted ball struck home plate and then went out into fair territory. After the game I asked each of the umpires why the ball was foul and they said that it was “because it struck home plate.“

      when I told them that home plate is in fair territory each of the umpires replied “that doesn’t matter.“ So, I asked why is it a fair ball if a ball hits first base or third base and then goes foul?  Both umpires said “that’s different.” Go figure.

      thanks

      kanettp30
      Participant
      How to enforce the rules that have been in the rule book for a century considered a “war”? It is simply overdue executing THE RULES for too long.
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