Re: Approved ASA Rule Changes

Mike:
  I understand what you're saying about the  defensive player having the right
to be wherever she chose when she received the ball, but does that give her the
right to make the runner alter her path to the bag/plate BEFORE the defensive
player has the ball?  If the runner has to go around the player to avoid
collision, she is lengthening her path to the bag/plate, and in many instances
is "past" the def. player, as in further down the line, before the defensive
player has the ball, but because of the altered path, is still blocked from the
bag/plate and tagged out after the def player recieves the ball.  The catch-22
for the runner is that if she slides cleanly into the defensive player beeofre
she has the ball, she's not going to reach the bag.  If she plows into her,
she's called out for collision.  That's my only objection to the word "could"
being in the rule, because it does not make for a clear definition of
obstruction.  I don't think we're any further ahead, just a different set of
circumstances.  To me a better choice of wording would have been "will" be
called obstruction.  If she doesn't have the ball and she's blocking the path,
it's obstruction.

Tom Peronto
San Diego Renegades