obstruction or crash

Question
In a 14 U ASA tournament our team is at bat.  The batter hits the ball back to the pitcher, off the glove, but hurries to collect herself a throws an errand throw to the defensive first baseman.  The throw is caught by the first baseman but into foul territory several feet "before" the first base bag.  The batter/runner is in the proper path to the base, in foul territory, in a straight line to the orange base.  The catch of the ball and the collision between the runner and first baseman is almost simultaneously.  Both fall to the ground and the umpire waits, waits, waits, and I (as the first base coach) say touch the bag.  Tag is applied and the umpire yells "OUT"!  I know that the defensive player could use the orange bag on an errant throw, and the runner the white portion of the bag, but neither player was on a bag.  Is this a crash or obstruction?

Answer
Hi Michael,

Thank you for your "crash"/"train wreck" VS. obstruction question.

Please keep in mind that my answer is a judgment call, as was your umpire's, and that I wasn't there, and he was.

A "crash" was never an option for me here.  The thought of it never entered my mind.  Without a moment's hesitation I would have given the delayed dead ball signal and verbalized "obstruction." Then, after I saw that the runner had been tagged out before reaching 1B, I would have called "dead ball" and awarded her 1B.  Even though she might have been put out by a good throw from F1, since she was obstructed she is protected between HP and 1B.

I latched onto your sentence: "The catch of the ball and the collision between the runner and first baseman is almost simultaneously."  That tells me absolutely that JUST BEFORE the ball reached F3's glove, F3, without the ball, was in the 3-foot running lane, where she "shouldn't" be, impeding the b-r while the b-r was dutifully running in the 3-foot running lane, where she "should" be.

Let's cement my opinion by reviewing the obstruction rule, Rule 8-5-B: "RUNNERS ARE ENTITLED TO ADVANCE WITHOUT LIABILITY TO BE PUT OUT.  When a fielder not in possession of the ball or not in the act of fielding a batted ball, obstructs the progress of a runner or batter-runner."

Scott Kelly