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TOPIC: Sliding at Home Plate |
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| Dan Finn
May 31, 2011
8:22:17 AM
Entry #: 3736484
| In a game on 5-25-11 at CIT, there was a play at home plate. The throw was high and our catcher leaped to catch the ball. The runner hit the catchers legs in mid air with his shoulder and caused him to flip upside down. I thought the rule was to either slide or dive, but in either case, to avoid contact. This could have been a serious injury. No call was made.
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| Dan Y.
May 31, 2011
11:17:32 AM
Entry #: 3736621
| The "slide or avoid contact rule" and the "malicious contact" rule are two separate entities.
The "slide or avoid contact" rule deals with a question of safe or out. It requires a runner to slide or attempt to avoid contact whenever a fielder has possession of the ball and is waiting to make a tag. It sounds that the catcher was still fielding the ball when contact occurred which means the runner is under no obligation to avoid contact or to slide.
The "malicious contact" rules deals with the question of ejecting a player. Simply put, if any player initiates contact with an opposing player with the intent to cause injury (either as a primary or secondary objective) then that player shall be ejected from the game.
These rules are separate issues and may not always go hand-in-hand with each other. Runners could be safe but ejected, called out but kept in the game, etc...
In this situation it seems clear the "slide or avoid contact" rule doesn't come into play and the malicious contact rule really requires someone to see the play in question to form an opinion.
Dan Y.
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| fan
July 21, 2011
2:43:07 PM
Entry #: 3767420
| Dan I was at this game as a fan of the other team. At no point were the words 18 inches ever said so you were just making that up because you were mad he said 3 feet from the beginning because your runner ran more than 3 feet past the base. Also its a pony league game no one was intentionally trying to hurt anyone and the umpire was right in his call.
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