Interference Rule on Slide into Catcher

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Dec 15, 2018
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Not saying this wasn't interference, but for argument:
Did the runner slide on the ground: yes
Did the runner slide directly between the two bases: yes (her right knee - before the leg straightens - contacts the top left corner of the plate - the direct midpoint of the base)
Did the runner kick or slash at the fielder: maybe

Also, there is no "lane", and the foul line is the right edge of home plate.

Also, malicious contact usually refers to remaining upright, though it could refer to an illegal slide.

A case could be made that the slide was unnecessary or illegal, but it's not super clear cut to me.

That said, in real time, I probably would have called interference. But, I'm not sure.
 
May 11, 2018
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looking at the photo i'm going to guess the runner from 3rd edged over to take the throw away from going to third. runner to first did the same. because i don't see a clear path for the runner coming home i really don't see it as obvious runner interference.
 
Dec 11, 2010
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looking at the photo i'm going to guess the runner from 3rd edged over to take the throw away from going to third. runner to first did the same. because i don't see a clear path for the runner coming home i really don't see it as obvious runner interference.
There is a link to a video on post #3

Dirty play. Slide marks and possibly deep catchers cleat marks would tell the hp ump everything he should need to know to eject her rear. He doesn’t have to replay it in his head, there is actual evidence in front of his nose.

Umpire: Do your job. Quit standing around wondering when the game will be over.

Defensive coach, what exactly is it you are doing? Point at the marks in the dirt, say SOMETHING. Come on.
 
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May 6, 2015
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Also, there is no "lane", and the foul line is the right edge of home plate.
not certain of wording, but if there is to be a play from the HP area to 1B, then there is a running lane on foul side of 1B line (including line), runner clearly on fair side of foul line

also, see this capture. catcher in front of plate and time of contact, and runner clearly well inside line, runner is gunning for catcher. no question when you look at this screen shot
1623434289807.png
deceptive because the fall/roll over back onto the plate, probably in effort to make it look as though contact happened on plate. watch again pausing at the key moments. now that being said, umpire does not have that luxury. but if catcher winds up in heap on a force play in front of plate, well 99 /100 there was intereference.

all of this sums up, players are coached to run bases contrary to rules. coach probably should be sanctioned by whomever was regulating this game.
 
Dec 15, 2018
809
93
CT
not certain of wording, but if there is to be a play from the HP area to 1B, then there is a running lane on foul side of 1B line (including line), runner clearly on fair side of foul line

also, see this capture. catcher in front of plate and time of contact, and runner clearly well inside line, runner is gunning for catcher. no question when you look at this screen shot
View attachment 22488
deceptive because the fall/roll over back onto the plate, probably in effort to make it look as though contact happened on plate. watch again pausing at the key moments. now that being said, umpire does not have that luxury. but if catcher winds up in heap on a force play in front of plate, well 99 /100 there was intereference.

all of this sums up, players are coached to run bases contrary to rules. coach probably should be sanctioned by whomever was regulating this game.

I hear what you're saying. Maybe NHFS has that wording - USA doesn't.

Also, just so we're all on the same page about the geometry of home plate:

1623434902755.png

It is entirely to the right of the foul line, so if she were running / sliding on the fair side wheel marks in this pic is a direct line from 3rd to home. (you could argue that she is much farther in fair territory, hard to tell from the angle.

Again, I probably have interference, but don't want to make stuff up about running lanes to home.
 
Jul 22, 2015
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I'm going to be a bit contrarian I guess, but I place the bulk of the blame on the catcher. (Yes, I would still have called interference because the runner was clearly already retired) The screen grabs posted are a bit deceptive. In her initial set up the catcher is standing at almost the back corner of the plate. As the throw comes in her feet are directly on the line, which runs to the back of the plate, not the front. When the catcher set up she left absolutely no path to the plate for the baserunner and that very likely influenced the runner's decision to simply go in hard directly into the catcher. By the time the runner is only 10ft or so from HP the catcher is still in her path. Sometimes we act like the baserunner has just as much time to make a decision as we do after the fact. The catcher should have clearly set up much better and been no where in the vicinity to be hit. I hope she wasn't injured and that this is a valuable lesson to her because she certainly could have been hurt badly.
 
May 6, 2015
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1623437332109.png1623437455599.png
1623437563818.png

catcher has the ball at this point. and is (perfectly legally) blocking the plate, runner is already out, has no right to the base. clearly interference and malicious contact. catcher is well in front of plate at time of contact.

again, umpire does not have these frame capture luxuries, but has to see that contact happened well after arrival of the ball, and well in front of plate. the runner rolling back to plate is deceptive (intentionallyor not)
 
May 6, 2015
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also as video progresses, you can see that the left leg was expended towards 1B, not towards plate. not an effort to reach home really, and effort to take out the catcher. then she has to roll over to reach plate basically. is she slid directly to plate, and there was contact, so be it, but this was intentional, no doubt about it.
 
Dec 11, 2010
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81FCADDD-29E6-4964-9D7D-846B4EC67EFE.jpeg
I went one frame further back so you can see that while the blue shirted spectator is on the way, she is running on the line.

She isn’t trying to get to the plate. She’s trying to get to the catchers legs.

With a pc, if you pause the video you can advance or back up the video frame by frame with period or comma keys. You can see the moment she begins to veer toward c.
 
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