Catcher's obstruction is ignored: which statement matches the rule?

• A. It is never ignored and the penalty must be enforced.
• B. The penalty is ignored if the batter-runner reaches first base and all other runners advance at least one base.
• C. The penalty is ignored if there is no runners attempting to advance.
• D. The penalty is ignored in all other situations.

Answer: (B)

When a catcher obstructs a runner, the usual result is an obstruction call and an award of bases that the runner would have reached if the obstruction hadn’t occurred. But there’s a specific exception: if the batter-runner would reach first base on the play and every other runner would have advanced at least one base, the obstruction penalty is ignored. In that scenario, there’s no extra base award beyond what already happened, which prevents a double penalty on the defense and preserves the actual outcome of the play.

So this rule matches the idea that the penalty is ignored only in that particular situation, not in all cases.