Land O Lakes Little League: QUIZ - You Be The Umpire

YOU ARE THE UMPIRE AT A LITTLE LEAGUE GAME. HERE ARE FIVE UNUSUAL PLAYS THAT HAPPENED IN THE GAME THAT YOU ARE UMPIRING. SEE HOW MANY OF THESE YOU CALL CORRECTLY. THE ANSWERS ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.



Scenario #1: There is a runner on first base and the first baseman is playing in his/her normal position behind the base. A ball is hit sharply towards the first baseman and the first baseman steps into the baseline to field the ball. The batter, running towards second, collides with the first baseman.
WHAT'S THE CALL?

Scenario #2: The batter hits the ball to the shortstop. The first baseman runs to the base and places his foot over first base (on the outside of the bag instead of on the inside of the bag) to catch the ball. The play is close at first, the ball arriving first, but the batter-runner trips over the extended leg of the first baseman.
WHAT'S THE CALL?

Scenario #3: The bases are empty and the runner hits to the outfield. In running the bases the runner bumps into the first baseman that was standing near the bag and makes it to second safely about that same time that the ball is thrown to the shortstop who is standing in the infield dirt.
WHAT'S THE CALL?

Scenario #4: A fielder is at third making a must-tag play on a runner as the ball is being thrown to the player. The fielder is not blocking the runner’s access to the bag, but the throw is a little off and pulls the fielder into the baseline. The play is close, runner does not slide, and the runner and fielder collide resulting in a) the runner’s foot reaching the base before the fielder gets control of the ball, or b) the ball arriving first only slightly before the runner but being knocked out of the glove by the collision.
WHAT'S THE CALL?

Scenario #5: There is a runner on first and there is a passed ball. As the catcher recovers the ball and goes to make the throw, the umpire is between him and the fielders.
WHAT'S THE CALL?


ANSWERS

Scenario #1:   The call is interference on the runner, and the runner is out. The ball is dead, and all runners return to the base last legally touched. (Small exception, if the fielder is judged to have intentionally caused the collision to impede the runner, it becomes obstruction, but this is pretty tough to call unless it is incredibly flagrant.)
Here is an easier way to think of it: A runner must avoid a fielder playing a BATTED ball in the same way he/she must avoid being hit by a batted ball. A fielder setting up to play a THROWN ball must set up in a place that will not impede the runner access to the base or progress in the base path. If the throw is then errant and pulls the fielder into the runner, it is a no call. A fielder NOT playing a batted ball may only impede a runner’s progress if actually in POSSESSION of the ball.

Scenario #2: The call is obstruction on the first baseman and the batter is safe.
The correct call is the instant that the fielder who is not in possession of the ball steps into a position to obstruct the runner from first base, the umpire should call ‘Obstruction! Time Out!’ and hopefully stop the collision from happening. The batter-runner is awarded first, and any other runners are awarded one base beyond the last one that they touched.

Scenario #3: When the "bump" occurs, the umpire calls "Obstruction!" and allows play to proceed (called a "delayed dead ball"). Once the base runners are at their bases and the ball is in the infield and no one is attempting to make a play, ‘Time!’ is called. Then the umpire should judge whether or not the runner could have safely made third if the obstruction had not occurred. Since the ball arrived about the same time that the runner arrived at second, however, the runner will probably stay at second; if, however, the collision was significant enough that the runner could easily have made third, the runner is awarded third base.

Scenario #4: As long as there is no intent to interfere with the play by the runner, both cases result in the same call, which is a no call. However, in the judgment of the umpire, if the fielder receives the ball significantly ahead of the runner’s arrival (in case B), the runner could be called out for Interference.

Scenario #5: Umpire interference, the ball is dead and the runner returns to first.

WERE THESE QUESTIONS TOO TOUGH?  SEE IF YOU CAN DO BETTER ON THESE UMPIRING QUESTIONS:

 http://www.littleleague.org/umpires/stump_the_ump/06121stumpqdec06.htm

Now here are the answers to these umpiring questions. How did you do?

 http://www.littleleague.org/umpires/stump_the_ump/06122stumpadec06.htm