Defensive Obstruction

Question
I play 2nd base in a men's ASA recreational league.  We have a player on our team who played college baseball once upon a time many moons ago.  He has been working with me for a number of seasons on several advanced fielding techniques.  One such technique is thus:
If there's a runner on 1st or a ball hit that may be a triple and there's very unlikely to be a play at 2B, stand on the inside corner of 2B (inside the diamond).  The point is that it forces the runners to take a wider turn around second and increases the chances they will be thrown out.  Also, he assures me that it is outside the base path and therefore it is not obstruction, even if the runner contacts me.  He assures me this is a quite common technique used at the upper levels of baseball routinely.

I recently began employing this technique only to have the base umpire tell me that it is in fact obstruction and he could, at his discretion, award a runner an extra base.  I asked him if that particular position I was standing in was in the base path, and if not, whether it was possible to obstruct while not in the base path.  His answers were no (its not the base path) and yes (it is possible to obstruct while not in the base path).  Is he right?

Answer
Hi Craig,

I don't know about that "other game" but in softball at ANY level I've got obstruction every time.

Obstruction is the act of a defensive player not in possession of the ball and not in the act of fielding a batted ball that hinders a runner legally running the bases. If you are doing neither you need to stay out of the way.

"The point is that it forces the runners to take a wider turn around second and increases the chances they will be thrown out"  this hinders the runner and is obstruction.  We cannot by rule put a runner out between the bases they were obstructed.  Even if you get a tag for an "out" at 3rd it means nothing, the runner is protected.

"Also, he assures me that it is outside the base path and therefore it is not obstruction, even if the runner contacts me."  absolutely, positively false especially if he contacts you, that just makes the call easier.

As far as "basepath" your friend doesn't know what a basepath is, there is no basepath unless a fielder is in possession of the ball and is attempting to tag the runner.

If you mean "baseline" that has nothing to do with and means nothing with obstructing the runner.  

"he could, at his discretion, award a runner an extra base."  not necessarily, we award the base(s) the runner would have made had there not be obstruction, this could mean home not just 3rd.

I mean this in the best way, stop doing this, this is a very bad "technique". I'm going to punish you for it w/in the rules as you are intentionally trying to get away with something illegal, remember it's my judgment what base they would have made

Mark