Ask MrUmp1 your rules question.

[adminbaberuth]

MrUmp1 will be our source for a rules question for High School baseball. This thread will be for rules not judgement calls during the season.

Thread rule

1) No bashing the umpires

2) Keep it serious to baseball issues, no chit chat. 

[643]

You had mentioned in the "Balk rule" thread refering to Obstruction about a fielder not having poss of ball in the baseline, surely they have NOT changed the rule when the balls is inflight to a fielder in the baseline, have they??

[MrUmp1]

Yes they have changed that ruling. There is no more blocking a base without the ball in possesion. Before as long as a fielder was making a play on the ball he could block. Now he must have the ball. To take this a little farther, using first base as an example, the first baseman must give the runner at least half of the base as access on a pick off throw.

[643]

So what your saying is (ex) say a catcher is down the line towards 3rd a cpl of steps to catch incomming ball and its going to be close he has to decide who will get there first, IF he gueses wrong he's obstructing the baseline, IF he's right the runners out and risk ejection for his action for contact. Seems as if there will be safety issues here after all that IS the reasons the old rule was in effect and now going back to the MLB rule. I'm not speaking of malicious contact just contact. Seems as if UIL just made it a little harder on you guys. 

[FlatsMaster]

Would that rule apply on a play to home plate now? or are you still able to block it there?

[MrUmp1]

The whole intent of the rule changing is that a fielder cannot block a base without the ball in his possession. If the catcher is just inside the line he is ok because he is giving access to the runner. A catcher up the line is still the same as it has always been. Just remember this, the chalk line is a fair/foul line not a baseline. A runner creates his own baseline from the point he is at to the base he is going to. Simply do not block any base without the ball in your possession.

[643]

Understand baseline as home to first is the only marked baseline and runner makes the baseline and has acess to 3 ft either way. Catcher dont have to block, just straddle it BUT techanicly the runner should have to slide whereas any other base he's subject to Obstruction. Maybe contrary to the rukes in place now BUT the other way IMO is safer for fielder trying to field incomming ball. Somebody will get run over this yr and possibly end a carrer and the runner will say he was blocking the baseline. 

[MrUmp1]

If the runner runs over a catcher he will be out and ejected. He will have to avoid unneccesary contact. Running over somone because they are in the basepath is not an excuse to do it. Go around and let the Umpire make any calls of obstruction. Worse thing you can do is to create contact.

[643]

I for sure agree on contact but will have to say its a change of a rule that was not broken. I too know that kids are taught NOT to run around a player (without the ball or a incomming ball) in the baseline. The new rule or exception IMO completly ingnors the safety of a defensive player trying to stay focused and field a ball without having to worry if he's in the baseline or wether he will catch the ball before the runner gets to him, whereas before the defensive player could stay focused on the ball without the above possibilities and make a play, afterall the runner has to only glance once and see where the ball is. Surely this rule just pertains to a thrown ball and not a batted ball as IMO they are one in the same. BTW my comment on contact with a fielder in the baseline was not ment to 'take out' a player just make contact afterall most games are umpired with a 2 man team and you guys have a hard enough time keeping watch on all aspects going on, with the old rule if the balls incomming its a no brainer.

[elhector1]

I guess the question about the blocked base path is if a player goes around an infielder without the ball, but awaiting the throw, and those extra steps result in being tagged out, is this a cause for appeal?  In avoiding the "run over" does the player attempting to avoid a collision get penalized?

[MrUmp1]

no the player will not be penalized. If he is not safe then we will have obstruction.

[643]

It still hasn't been adressed on a thrown or batted ball, surley this rule just refers to a thrown ball or would a batted ball fall under the interference rule. In elhectors post, the old rule would have forced the runner to go around with no penalty on either, the new rule puts the defensive player in jepordy when trying to field a ball and contact would certainly happen 99% of the time 'to sell' the obstruction rule, if the runner goes around a 'judgement call' would have to be made by a umpire that is sometimes not in position to make the call...which DOES happen using a 2 man team. I still think safety was thrown out the window with this reversion of a rule that was not broke, thus adding more to you guys already hard job in applying the rules. 

[MrUmp1]

This change was on a thrown ball. A batted ball the fielder has the right to be anywhere he neeeds to be to make a play on batted ball. The runner must avoid the fielder or have interference called on him. The fielder cannot block a base without the ball and if he does so he will be called for obstruction if he alters the play. There does have to be any contact for obstruction to be called. Guess I now understand where 643 was comming from on the saftey issue. Altering the play is enough for obstrution to be called. The Federation was actually trying to make the game safer by making fielders get in a position where the possibility of contact would be less. I know they will see how it goes this year and sometimes they revert back to the previuos rule. I do not think it will come into play that much this season. I've done 14 games so far and have not had to call it yet. Of course now that I said that it will come up in todays game ....lol

[Guest PantsOnFire]

OK Blue, here it is :

Runner on third breaks for home to attempt a steal.

The pitcher legally delivers the pitch.

The pitch hits the runner from third in the strike zone.

What's the call ?

[MrUmp1]

The ball is dead immediately, all runners advance 1 base from the base they occupied at the time of the pitch. Except if it is a strike for the third out of an inning.  You made me go to the book for that one LOL... and don't ask me why the exception all I did was write what was in the rule book. Hope I never have to explain that one to a coach lol.

[Wes57]

I heard this on the radio station a few years ago. The batter hits a line drive that hits the pitching rubber and goes straight into the dugout between first base and home plate. What is the ruling

[bleacher_bum]

I heard this on the radio station a few years ago. The batter hits a line drive that hits the pitching rubber and goes straight into the dugout between first base and home plate. What is the ruling

Foul Ball.

[MrUmp1]

Correct  Foul Ball

[Wes57]

thats what they said on the radio.    ;D

[elhector1]

because the ball never got past 1st or 3rd.

[643]

MrUmp, I thought you would see it as I do concerning saftey, on another note it WILL happen somewhere in Tx and just hope it doesn't cause a career ending injury or end up in a courtroom somewhere as it has in the past. Hopefully it can be adressed in the State meet with UIL before the uninevatable happens. I too know you or the assco don't write the rules just inforce whats there and whats sad is sometimes it takes a injury to get things done. I still have a very hard time accepting why this rule was changed. thanks

This change was on a thrown ball. A batted ball the fielder has the right to be anywhere he neeeds to be to make a play on batted ball. The runner must avoid the fielder or have interference called on him. The fielder cannot block a base without the ball and if he does so he will be called for obstruction if he alters the play. There does have to be any contact for obstruction to be called. Guess I now understand where 643 was comming from on the saftey issue. Altering the play is enough for obstrution to be called. The Federation was actually trying to make the game safer by making fielders get in a position where the possibility of contact would be less. I know they will see how it goes this year and sometimes they revert back to the previuos rule. I do not think it will come into play that much this season. I've done 14 games so far and have not had to call it yet. Of course now that I said that it will come up in todays game ....lol

[MrUmp1]

I left one little word out of that last phrase.. musta been to early for me... There does NOT have to be any contact for obstruction to be called. Maybe this will make it easier to understand. I get to typing to fast and make mistakes.

[hj_hawk_60]

here, i have one...

i know that if the ball is hit into play and hits a base runner that the runner is out... (hopefully im right there, or it ruins my whole question), but if the ball is thrown by a player in the field and hits the runner then he's not out...

whats the ruling if the ball is hit, bounces off the foot of a fielder and hits the runner...

is he out because a live ball hit him, or does the fact that the ball touched the fielder cancel that out?

[westend1]

I think that once a fielder has an opprtunity to field the ball, the baserunner can no longer interfer with the play.  He is safe.  So, even if the fielder doesn't touch it. If the baserunner is passing behind the fielder, he is OK.  That's my guess.

[MrUmp1]

West End hit it on the nose. Once a fielder has had an opportunity to field the ball then the runner is not out if it hits him. This happened in an Astros game a few years back when Dierker was manager. He almost got thrown out of the game for arguing such a call. The hit ball had gone right by the first baseman when it hit the runner and the stros did not get an out and Dirk was livid.