No question it will. With concerns about concussions in sports, it has to.
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?
I fully agree. But how will it be written as a 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!).
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!).