catcher OBS?

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Aug 2, 2019
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Not in my world, but in the three other rules threads today it has been proven I don't understand this game at all.

That catcher is exactly where I would coach a girl to set up. If anything, I think she may be giving up too much of the plate.
 
Apr 28, 2019
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View attachment 15258
Saw this in FB today. To me she has a path to the plate. But many are saying OBS.

Blue, what is the correct call?
My understanding is that a catcher is not supposed to block any part of the plate without possession of the ball. If they have the ball they can camp out and read the paper.
The idea is not to leave the catcher vulnerable to a collision at the plate while waiting on the ball.
The runner has a path to the plate but she shouldn’t have to “go around the catcher” because the catcher shouldn’t be there.
I would have my catcher set-up just in front of the plate without the ball and swipe tag on a close play at the plate.
 
Jun 22, 2008
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Catcher can setup anywhere they like, just as long as they do not impede the runner prior to possession of the ball. If the catcher has not already received the ball in this photo then it would be obstruction. Providing a path to the plate has nothing to do with the rule.

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May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
View attachment 15258
Saw this in FB today. To me she has a path to the plate. But many are saying OBS.

Blue, what is the correct call?

There are a LOT of people who post on the FB softball pages that don't know the rules of obstruction, and this pic alone doesn't give us enough info to make a definitive call on this play (where is the ball?) For a couple of pages, I could not longer tolerate the staggering volume of ignorance, and left the groups.

As others have already noted...
- Providing a "path to the plate" is irrelevant (unless it's NCAA).
- Obstruction does not occur until the moment a runner's progress is impeded by a defensive player not in possession of the ball.

In the case of this pic, if the catcher already has possession of the ball, it's probably not obstruction. If the catcher does not have possession of the ball, it looks like obstruction.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
My understanding is that a catcher is not supposed to block any part of the plate without possession of the ball.

Until the moment that the runner's progress is impeded, the catcher can be anywhere she wants, even without possession of the ball. Where the runner might be in the future is not a factor in the obstruction rule..
 
May 29, 2015
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113
I’m with Eric F on this one ... cannot tell from a still photo. I’m assuming the catcher has the ball, but I don’t know that and I don’t know when she received the ball.

I also think if you rotated that photo and looked straight down the line, you would see her foot is in fair territory, meaning she is not blocking the plate in a manner that would impede the runner (who is making a terrible slide, IMO).

Any info on rule set so I can post the correct rules?
 
Apr 28, 2019
1,423
83
Until the moment that the runner's progress is impeded, the catcher can be anywhere she wants, even without possession of the ball. Where the runner might be in the future is not a factor in the obstruction rule..
The question is why would you set-up in an area where you know you would have to move at a later point?
I think coaches try and keep it simple and say don’t block the plate without the ball. This way you can focus on where the ball is rather than worry about getting steamrolled.
 
Dec 15, 2018
809
93
CT
I’m with Eric F on this one ... cannot tell from a still photo. I’m assuming the catcher has the ball, but I don’t know that and I don’t know when she received the ball.

I also think if you rotated that photo and looked straight down the line, you would see her foot is in fair territory, meaning she is not blocking the plate in a manner that would impede the runner (who is making a terrible slide, IMO).

Any info on rule set so I can post the correct rules?

Her foot being in fair territory wouldn’t necessarily mean she isn’t blocking the plate, as the plate itself is in fair territory.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
The question is why would you set-up in an area where you know you would have to move at a later point?
I think coaches try and keep it simple and say don’t block the plate without the ball. This way you can focus on where the ball is rather than worry about getting steamrolled.

I thought this was a discussion of the obstruction rule, not proper catcher positioning for a play at the plate. I wouldn't teach a catcher to lay down on top of home plate without possession of the ball because it's not effective positioning for the game...but it's not a violation of the obstruction rule.
 

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