Sliding Aggresively Question (AKA Taste the Dirt)

[radness]

To TRY and stay current on rules

Wonderful Umpires can you please explain the ruling on sliding into defensive players. Specifically talking about when there is contact
AKA breaking up the play.

Double play
Defender receives ball crossing 2nd base, runner slides, defender goes down, cant make throw.

Runner on 1st.
Intending to go all the way to 3rd on a bunt.
Batter bunts.
Slides at 1st base to take out
defender, so they cant throw to 3rd.

These type situations.
EVERYONE Please add situations~

Thanku for being Umpires!

 

[Mike Hurd]

To TRY and stay current on rules

Wonderful Umpires can you please explain the ruling on sliding into defensive players. Specifically talking about when there is contact
AKA breaking up the play.

Double play
Defender receives ball crossing 2nd base, runner slides, defender goes down, cant make throw.

Runner on 1st.
Intending to go all the way to 3rd on a bunt.
Batter bunts.
Slides at 1st base to take out
defender, so they cant throw to 3rd.

These type situations.
EVERYONE Please add situations~

Thanku for being Umpires!

If slides are legal, no issue.

 

[jackfrost]

Sometimes hard to tell but other times it is obvious attempt to interfere. Some examples:

runner slides in with spikes high into fielders shins, knees; probably interference and maybe unsportsmanlike/ejection
runner slides into defender who is off the base, instead of sliding into the base; probably interference
BR slides into 1st baseman on white base when there is a double base; interference just like running into 1st baseman on white portion

other situation may be harder to distinguish between legitimate play and interference. Hopefully umpires use good judgement.

 

[marriard]

To TRY and stay current on rules

Wonderful Umpires can you please explain the ruling on sliding into defensive players. Specifically talking about when there is contact
AKA breaking up the play.

Double play
Defender receives ball crossing 2nd base, runner slides, defender goes down, cant make throw.

Runner on 1st.
Intending to go all the way to 3rd on a bunt.
Batter bunts.
Slides at 1st base to take out
defender, so they cant throw to 3rd.

These type situations.
EVERYONE Please add situations~

Thanku for being Umpires!

There are some complexities but in GENERAL...

If a runner slides/contacts/runs through or even if they try to use such contact to interfere with a defender then the player is ejected and whatever the results of the play are will stand (depending on ruleset).

The intent is not necessary for the call but in most cases there is a chance to avoid the contact. Not knowing the rule is not a safe haven either. Intent makes the call easy - they are ejected. Note: - this doesn't apply for incidental contact/unavoidable contact or if they make a legitimate real effort to avoid that doesn't quite work or some weird thing happens (off-line throws causing a collision being the big one)

If in the umpire's opinion, this stopped an obvious double play or other defensive play, then that other runner will be called out.

In your two cases:
#1 If the runner slid into the defender at 2B and not the bag they are ejected.
#2 Is a straight ejection.
Other runner out if clearly they would have been. Otherwise they will be returned to the last legally touched base.

Note, an ejection is NOT an out in all rule books; it can get complex. Malicious contact is ian out in USSSA (unless thay have scored) but it is debatable in USA from memory of another thread. . IN that case a runner could be safe and ejected (and eligible to replaced on the bases by a sub).

 

[marriard]

Sometimes hard to tell but other times it is obvious attempt to interfere. Some examples:

runner slides in with spikes high into fielders shins, knees; probably interference and maybe unsportsmanlike/ejection
runner slides into defender who is off the base, instead of sliding into the base; probably interference
BR slides into 1st baseman on white base when there is a double base; interference just like running into 1st baseman on white portion

other situation may be harder to distinguish between legitimate play and interference. Hopefully umpires use good judgement.

In order:

Ejection. No maybe. Intererence if it messed with a defensive play.
Ejection. No maybe. Intererence if it messed with a defensive play.
Tougher call... but if she takes out the 1B with a direct slide into the white part of the base when she is not entitled to it, then an ejection is probably not the worse call. Maybe have to be there.

Attacking a defender is not ever a legitimate play. Even if they miss. You TRY to take out a defender, you should be ejected. That you missed (and I have been in that argument) is not saving you.

 

[JumboJack]

I think the easy answer is slide into bag, OK. Slide into fielder (or some how through the bag) not OK.

 

[marriard]

I think the easy answer is slide into bag, OK. Slide into fielder (or some how through the bag) not OK.

Put it this way, if you slide and you never could have touched the base, you are not putting yourself in a good spot.

 

[JumboJack]

Put it this way, if you slide and you never could have touched the base, you are not putting yourself in a good spot.

That is pretty much the MLB rule which IMO is too loose. You can slide WAAAYYYY wide and as long as you can touch the base with your hand you are usually OK.

 

[radness]

SUPER GLAD to have played when sliding and taking out the defender was what we were supposed to do.

It was strategy! Not to be mean.

Slide at first was a play.

I understand nowadays cant look intentional. Or try to avoid'ish ...

Look forward to MORE umpires descriptions.

 

[radness]

That is pretty much the MLB rule which IMO is too loose. You can slide WAAAYYYY wide and as long as you can touch the base with your hand you are usually OK.

Yes this in Fastpitch WAS ok!

How is that interpreted now?,,, mehhh?