The runner is attempting to return to second base. As he nears second, the shortstop is in his basepath without the ball and with no possible play. The runner dives over the shortstop, making no contact with him. How is this ruled?

• A. The runner is declared out as the dive supersedes the obstruction.
• B. The runner is awarded third base.
• C. The ball is immediately dead.
• D. The dive by the runner is ignored because of the obstruction.

Answer: (D)

Obstruction is the key idea here. When a fielder without the ball stands in a baserunner’s path, he obstructs the runner. The ball is dead at the moment the obstruction occurs, and the umpire awards the runner the base he would have reached if unobstructed. The runner’s dive over the fielder is not penalized or treated as a separate event; it’s ignored because the obstruction dictates the outcome. In this scenario, with no possible play and the runner attempting to return to second, the runner is awarded second base, and the play is dead.