Need your opinion

[arthurhawgerelli]

I'm just an AD; zero access to the rule book I have misplaced.  I never coached softball, but saw something  yesterday that didn't even include my team, but made me scratch my head.

Team A has runners on 1st and 3rd tie ball game.  Team B aligns their 2nd Baseman (lady?) closer, actually right in the line of the basepath.  Seen this in baseball a thousand times, but never the following.  Pitcher makes pitch, runner on 1st breaks for 2nd base, as does runner on 3rd just slightly delayed.  The runner from 1st barrels right through the 2nd baseman with her arms in a football blocking position.  Ball goes into centerfield.  Game over.  The coach was told that if it had been a hit ball, the runner had to make an attempt to avoid the fielder, but since it was a thrown ball, the 2nd baseman was on her own.

This is federation rules by the way.  Thanks.

[ump_ben]

This forum is pretty much a football only forum, so you might like to try elsewhere.  But in answer to your question, unless the fielder has the ball she has to stay out of the way.  Being required to stay out of the way does not excuse malicious takeouts, and if in the umpire's judgment this was malicious, we'd have interference anyway.  Additionally, throwing to second with the winning run on third is not good softball. 

On a hit ball, one fielder will be entitled to space to field the ball until it has passed her or been misplayed.  In Fed that protection extends to the ball being within a step and a reach.

[4sports]

Ben gave  you the correct ruling and as a sidenote the illegal contact will trump obstruction