OBSTRUCTION
**READ IN TANDEM WITH OFFENSIVE INTERFERENCE
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Definition of Terms: OBSTRUCTION is the act of a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball and not in the act of fielding the ball, impedes the progress of any runner.
RULE 6.01(h)(1) - If a play is being made on the obstructed runner, or if the batter-runner is obstructed before he touches first base, the ball is dead and all runners shall advance, without liability to be put out, to the bases they would have reached, in the umpire’s judgment, if there had been no obstruction. The obstructed runner shall be awarded at least one base beyond the base he had last legally touched before the obstruction. Any preceding runners, forced to advance by the award of bases as the penalty for obstruction, shall advance without liability to be put out.
RULE 6.01(H)(1) Comment: When a play is being made on an obstructed runner, the umpire shall signal obstruction in the same manner that he calls “Time,” with both hands overhead. The ball is immediately dead when this signal is given.
RULE 6.01(h)(2) - If no play is being made on the obstructed runner, the play shall proceed until no further action is possible. The umpire shall then call “Time” and impose such penalties, if any, as in his judgment will nullify the act of obstruction.
Rule 6.01(h)(2) Comment: Under Rule 6.01(h)(2), when the ball is not dead on obstruction and an obstructed runner advances beyond the base which, in the umpire’s judgment, he would have been awarded because of being obstructed, he does so at his own peril and may be tagged out. This is a judgment call.
Rule 6.01(a)(10) Comment: When a catcher and batter-runner going to first base have contact when the catcher is fielding the ball, there is generally no violation and nothing should be called. “Obstruction” by a fielder attempting to field a ball should be called only in very flagrant and violent cases because the rules give him the right of way, but of course such “right of way” is not a license to, for example, intentionally trip a runner even though fielding the ball. If the catcher is fielding the ball and any fielder, including the pitcher, obstructs a runner going to first base, “obstruction” shall be called and the base runner awarded first base.
RULE 6.01(h) Comment: If a fielder is about to receive a thrown ball and if the ball is in flight directly toward and near enough to the fielder so he must occupy his position to receive the ball he may considered “in the act of fielding a ball.” It is entirely up to the judgment of the umpire as to whether a fielder is in the act of fielding a ball. After a fielder has made an attempt to field a ball and missed, he can no longer be in the “act of fielding” the ball. For example: An infielder dives at a ground ball and the ball passes him and he continues to lie on the ground and delays the progress of the runner, he very likely has obstructed the runner.
RULE 6.01(a)(10) - It is interference by a batter or runner when... He fails to avoid a fielder who is attempting to field a batted ball, or intentionally interferes with a thrown ball, provided that if two or more fielders attempt to field a batted ball, and the runner comes in contact with one or more of them, the umpire shall determine which fielder is entitled to the benefit of this rule, and shall not declare the runner out for coming in contact with a fielder other than the one the umpire determines to be entitled to field such a ball.
This rule mentions interference, not obstruction, but we will talk about it below.
THE ESSENTIALS
If a fielder does not have the ball and is not in the act of fielding a batted or thrown ball, he cannot impede a runner’s progress IN ANY WAY, period.
When a play is being made on an obstructed runner, the play is immediately dead, and that runner is awarded one base. Other runners on base are placed where umpires think they would've ended up if the obstruction did not occur.
If a play isn’t being made on an obstructed runner (the runner is obstructed while rounding first after hitting a gap shot, for example), the play is to continue to its conclusion at which point the umpires will place the runners where they think they would have ended up had the obstruction not taken place.
Notice the use of quotation marks around "act of fielding the ball" in the rulebook itself! What does that mean? It's "entirely up to the judgment of the umpire." It's a gray area that's gotten out of control over the years, hence MLB's 2024 crackdown.
SITUATION: World Series. Runners at second and third. One out. Infield is in. Grounder to the second baseman, who fires home to get the runner at the plate. The catcher then tries to get the runner headed to third. The ball gets past the third-baseman, who dives for the throw and remains sprawled on the ground. The runner at third breaks for home on the overthrow and trips over the prone infielder. Both the Third Base Umpire and Home Plate Umpire acknowledge the obstruction as the play continues. At the conclusion of the play, the Home Plate Umpire signals “safe” and begins explaining the obstruction.
COMMENTS: The umpires 100% got this call correct. The Rule 6.01(h) Comment above actually spells out this exact situation, only this was a thrown ball as opposed to a ground ball. At the 0:55 mark, you see Will Middlebrooks asking, "What am I supposed to do?!" The umpire's reply was probably something along the lines of, "You've had your chance to field the ball. You cannot impede the runner. That's RULE 6.01(h) Comment, Will!" Here is a breakdown of the play from the participants and a few of the umpires.
TEACHABLE MOMENT: In the wide angle at the 1:26 mark, watch the 2B umpire. This is the World Series, the crowd is deafening, the winning run is racing home. As a baseball fan, your eyes are glued to the action. The wide shot is grainy, but it does not appear that the 2B umpire watches the batter-runner touch second base. We'll give this professional umpire the benefit of the doubt and say he took that little step back in order to give the base touch a peek.
Be honest -- on your initial viewing of the play, did you completely forget the batter-runner was running the bases? The point here is: In the most intense and exciting moments of a play and/or game, do NOT forget your responsibilities.
SITUATION: The same World Series had another good play worth talking about. It seems like a routine pickoff at first glance, but keep your eyes on the first baseman's right foot. Before he receives the throw from his pitcher, his foot is straight. Upon receiving the throw (act of fielding the ball), he pivots his heel 90 degrees so that the runner's hand slides into it and the fielder can put the tag down. Great stuff. The first-base coach isn't upset about the safe/out call; he wants obstruction. But it just isn't there. This heel pivot should not be outlawed in the 2024 crackdown because once a fielder is in possession of the ball, he can block the base path.
SITUATION: Ball is hit into the gap. While the runner is rounding first base on his way to second, the first-baseman, in the judgment of the umpire, impedes the runner’s progress. The runner is given second base on the obstruction call.
COMMENTS: The rules do not say contact has to be made, only that the runner’s progress must be impeded. As shown by the Mets manager during his argument, the base-runner took an unconventional path on his way to second.
So, at what point is the runner no longer protected by an obstruction call? Why can’t he, after reaching first, run toward the mound, bump into the pitcher, and claim he was obstructed on his way to second? This all comes down to the umpire’s judgment.
SITUATION: A rundown breaks out between third and home. As the fielders toss the ball back and forth, the runner eventually runs into one of the fielders not in the act of fielding the ball. Obstruction is called, and the runner is awarded one base, which is home in this situation.
COMMENTS: This is the correct call. Rundowns are a breeding ground for obstruction calls, and fielders must be aware of this. Runners will look for an opportunity to run into a fielder, which is exactly what Brandon Crawford does here. In his conversation with the Home Plate Umpire, you can see Pirates manager Clint Hurdle say something along the lines of “I understand the rule.” During the whole conversation, Hurdle has a weird smile, because he knows that runners (and umpires) look for obstruction calls in this situation. And Hurdle absolutely tells his own players to do the same thing when caught in a rundown. This is obstruction, not interference.
SITUATION: Another rundown. The runner is impeded on his way to a base by a fielder not in the act of fielding a ball. The runner is awarded second.
COMMENTS: Another rundown, but this time we focus on the idea that contact does not have to be made. The announcers bring up the topic of the “baseline,” which does not exist until a tag is attempted on a runner. Just because the runner is in a rundown here does not mean a tag is being attempted. The attempted tag involves the physical action of a fielder reaching with their glove and attempting a tag. See THE BASE PATH.
Oh, boy. This is why we mentioned that obscure one-off interference rule in orange. We get a good look at the umpire's lips at the 2:00 mark. Something along the lines of "He made contact with (got tagged by?) your first baseman before he got tagged by the pitcher. That's obstruction. It doesn't matter if he's going for the ball. He has to have the ball." Basically the umpires got together and determined that, of the two players converging on the ball, the pitcher was the one entitled to make the play. That makes sense since he was the one who fielded the ball anyway.
Notice that the production truck throws up a graphic about the THREE-FOOT LANE. If you've read that section of this site along with THE BASE PATH, you'll know the runner is free to make his own path until a tag is being attempted. The three-foot lane does not factor into this play at all. The three-foot lane only applies to balls thrown to first base.
Also, the A's manager played the remainder of the game under protest, but this is a judgment call by the umpire, not a misapplication of the rules, so that protest was promptly thrown in the garbage can. In 2020, MLB abolished the protest rule.
TIPS FOR UMPIRES
If a fielder is not attempting to field a batted ball and is not in the act of fielding a throw, that fielder cannot impede a runner's progress in any way, shape, or form, period.
First base is a hot spot for obstruction when the first baseman watches the ball sail into the gap and forgets to get out of the way of the runner's wide turn around first base as he tries to leg out a double.
Make sure that runner rounding third on that single up the middle is not obstructed in any way!
Obstruction is very common in youth baseball. If you see it, call it!
QUICK QUIZ
R1 on first base. Pitcher attempts to pick him off. The first baseman dives for the ball but can't catch it. R1 attempts to advance to second base on the wild throw and trips over the first baseman, who is sprawled out on the ground. Is this obstruction?
Yes, absolutely.
Batter hits a pop-up in foul territory in front of first base. First baseman settles under the ball and prepares to catch it. The batter-runner bumps into the first baseman and both players fall to the ground. The ball drops and comes to rest in foul territory. What is the call?
This is interference by the runner. Obstruction and OFFENSIVE INTERFERENCE should be read in tandem.
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