Can someone out there tell me the rule on obstruction at home?

 

Reading from the rules is that no defender can block a base or be in baseline without the ball. Does this count for home? Never gets called if it does! Girl from Conner is thrown out at home in the bottom of 7th against Cooper and the catcher blocked the plate, girl from Conner slid and Cooper's catcher secured ball and made the tag. Umpire called girl out! I said that they should have called obstruction but no one from Conner's coaching staff objected.

Can someone out there tell me the rule on obstruction at home? Reading from the rules is that no defender can block a base or be in baseline without the ball. Does this count for home? Never gets called if it does! Girl from Conner is thrown out at home in the bottom of 7th against Cooper and the catcher blocked the plate' date=' girl from Conner slid and Cooper's catcher secured ball and made the tag. Umpire called girl out! I said that they should have called obstruction but no one from Conner's coaching staff objected.[/quote']

 

Obstruction applies at all bases. Cannot block base without possession.

Clyde is accurate, you cannot block base without possession of ball, however, if you are making a play on the ball, without the intent of blocking the base path (runner has access to the base) then it becomes a judgement call on the umpire's part.

 

The current major league baseball rule is a really good example of how this should be interpreted in high school softball. IMO it probably should be called more than it is.

 

I saw two plays at second base earlier this week where the fielder obstructed the runner stealing, however, when the runner slid it rang the bell of the fielder, who didn't catch the ball and ultimately the runner was protected to the base she was advancing, so no obstruction necessary.

 

I think umpires tend to call home plate obstruction differently than base path obstruction because of the scoring opportunity, but this should not be the case.

I guess given that this turned out to be a 1 run come from behind, that could have been significant to the final.

Thanks for the input and yes, I believe that she would have been the winning run but the dropped fly ball scored the next run.