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Posted By: Bob C

Adam
The way I read the rule, the catcher can block the plate while attempting to field a throw. Once he fails to field the ball, he is then obstructing the plate. He has a complete right to block the plate whether he fields the ball or not, up until the point he fails to field the ball. If he catches it one nanosecond before impact, then he has the right to be there. If he does not catch it, he does not have that right, however generally the runner will have touched the plate by then so its a non-issue.