Mlb rule book obstruction definition

The wild ending to game 3 of the world series prompted plenty of questions over the obstruction call that led to the cardinals walkoff win. Obstruction vs interference in professional baseball. Former mlb pitcher ryan dempster and former stolen base champ harold reynolds discuss in studio 42. Heres the rulebook definition, found in definitions obstruction. The distance from home base to the nearest fence, stand or other obstruction on fair territory shall be 250 feet or more. Most germane to this play is part of a comment in this section. The following is a very basic illustration of the difference between offensive interference and defensive obstruction in baseball. Obstruction describes an act by a fielder, who is not in possession of the ball or in the process of fielding it, that impedes the baserunners progress. A distance of 320 feet or more along the foul lines, and 400 feet or more to center field is prefer able. 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. We want to bring you the most uptodate, informative and exciting baseball information. In this clip, you decide if the umpire should call obstruction, interference, or. The mlb obstruction rule that ended game 3 for the win. In other words, this means that the defensive team is trying to make a defensive play on a player without possession of the ball.

This post will deal with the intricacies of the rule for those of you who may find the jargon used in mlb s official rules confusing. The obstruction rule bans unsanctioned collisions on the basepaths by preventing defensive players from blocking the passage of the baserunners. Obstruction is also among the terms defined in rule 2. A balk is an illegal act by the pitcher when one or more runners are on base. If a play is being made on the obstructed baserunner, the ball is ruled dead and the umpire can place all runners on the base he determines they would have reached without. The ruling of a dead ball halts the game and no plays can legally occur until the umpire resumes. Baseball rules are numerous and two of the most difficult are the rules governing interference and obstruction. The infield shall be graded so that the base lines and home plate are level. Brief essays and discussions about various aspect of baseball, umpiring, and assorted.