3B Pick Off - Obstruction?

quote:

Originally posted by NWABomber5:
Here's the situation. What's the right call? Runner at 3B with a lead. Pitcher attempts pick off. 3B is standing with 1 foot on the LF side of the bag and the other foot on the foul territory side of the bag. Runner trys to come back to the outside of the bag (the foul territory side of the bag) but gets blocked by the 3B foot that's in foul territory. Is that obstruction? The ump said it was.

This is not obstruction, even under the most stringent of rule sets (HS rules). If the fielder does not possess the ball, he must give the runner access to the base, and from the way you describe it, the side of the base facing the plate was accessible to the runner.

If the fielder has the ball, he can completely block the base.

By the way - if the ump said it was obstruction, he should have awarded the runner home. If he didn't, then he kicked it twice.

Dash,
Two questions, I was under the impression all fielders must be in fair territory and would there be any penalty to a BR if he slid into a blocked base and the fielder was accidently cleated. As a coach of a 17U and 10U I try to teach safety and would never want my fielders to completely block a bag. Your thoughts?

quote:

Originally posted by Boombaby:
Dash,
Two questions, I was under the impression all fielders must be in fair territory and would there be any penalty to a BR if he slid into a blocked base and the fielder was accidently cleated. As a coach of a 17U and 10U I try to teach safety and would never want my fielders to completely block a bag. Your thoughts?

1. A fielder can legally be 99.9% in foul territory (at least one foot must be touching fair territory at the TOP).

2. No penalty on the BR as long as the slide is legal.