As with many of refree articles, they are partially correct, partially wrong. Crashing into a fielder isn't just if they simply have possession, it is if they have possession and are waiting to make a tag. A runner cannot instantly stop or change course when a fielder suddenly received a throw 1/4 of a second before the runner got there.
Also, while NFHS does allow for a runner to be called out if the contact is rule malicious, USA softball has no such rule. And simply pushing a fielder is not necessarily interference. In USA, if the umpire judges the contact to be excessive they can eject for unsportsmanlike conduct, but they cannot call the runner out.
Also, while NFHS does allow for a runner to be called out if the contact is rule malicious, USA softball has no such rule. And simply pushing a fielder is not necessarily interference. In USA, if the umpire judges the contact to be excessive they can eject for unsportsmanlike conduct, but they cannot call the runner out.
USA softball has rule Supplement 13. Doesn't it also mean the runner is called out for a hard hit. USA calls it a crash rather than malicious contact, but it looks the same. here is the wording in RS 13: In an effort to prevent injury and protect a defensive player attempting to make a play on a runner, the runner must be called out when they remain on their feet and crash into a defensive player who is holding the ball and waiting to apply a tag. From 2018 USA book.