MLB to ban home-plate collisions
- Thread starter CoogansBluff
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And should, IMO.
The act of trying to jar the ball loose from a fielder like she's a football wide receiver coming over the middle serves no good purpose in softball or baseball, IMO.
I fully agree. But how will it be written as a rule?
Good question. Our umpires and rules makers here are better equipped than I to answer. How do you define a collision? (For one thing, collision is a misnomer when we're talking home-plate collisions, because a collision is the meeting of two moving objects.)
But you do have the challenge of determining what is a collision and what is merely contact in the attempt to avoid the tag, or contact that could not have been avoided.
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What I saw on the internet this afternoon
1. runners can not target the catcher
2. catchers can not block the plate
I'm sure there has to be more to it than that but this is all I've heard so far.....guess they will call it the Buster Posey rule.....
This goes back to a question I posed in the Rules Forum last year. If a catcher sets up to block the plate and does not have the ball, under what circumstances is that obstruction when there is a play at the plate? I got flamed for saying I do not teach my catchers to block the plate and to swipe tag. The reasoning was that MLB catchers block the plate (well, not anymore! 
). It's not worth it for me to lose a catcher if she gets her bell rung.
In terms of my base runners, the umpires on the forum did not really give me a clear answer other than to teach my runners to hook slide (which I do, but it alters their path, to the plate, so if the catcher does not have the ball, I want the obstruction call!).
). It's not worth it for me to lose a catcher if she gets her bell rung.In terms of my base runners, the umpires on the forum did not really give me a clear answer other than to teach my runners to hook slide (which I do, but it alters their path, to the plate, so if the catcher does not have the ball, I want the obstruction call!).
- Jun 22, 2008
- 3,438
- 48
ASA already addresses collisions. If it is a player with the ball, the runner is out and may be ejected. Without the ball, may be ejected. Unfortunately, too many umpires are afraid to take that action.
Issue with softball are all the baseball enthusiasts, including some umpires, that believe collisions are part of the game and will not make the call. Some of the reasons for justifications from coaches, parents and/or umpires for not making the call can be just amazing.
Issue with softball are all the baseball enthusiasts, including some umpires, that believe collisions are part of the game and will not make the call. Some of the reasons for justifications from coaches, parents and/or umpires for not making the call can be just amazing.
- Jun 22, 2008
- 3,438
- 48
This goes back to a question I posed in the Rules Forum last year. If a catcher sets up to block the plate and does not have the ball, under what circumstances is that obstruction when there is a play at the plate? I got flamed for saying I do not teach my catchers to block the plate and to swipe tag. The reasoning was that MLB catchers block the plate (well, not anymore!
It is OBS the moment the catcher presence hinders the runner. You cannot compare softball to MLB. Two different games with different philosophies.
You are absolutely correct.
This goes back to a question I posed in the Rules Forum last year. If a catcher sets up to block the plate and does not have the ball, under what circumstances is that obstruction when there is a play at the plate? I got flamed for saying I do not teach my catchers to block the plate and to swipe tag. The reasoning was that MLB catchers block the plate (well, not anymore!
In terms of my base runners, the umpires on the forum did not really give me a clear answer other than to teach my runners to hook slide (which I do, but it alters their path, to the plate, so if the catcher does not have the ball, I want the obstruction call!).
I believe the rule is a catcher can not block the plate without the ball ....with ball in glove ...no OBS with out ball OBS
