USSSA sliding

[tchaos7]

This happened a few weeks ago...

guy on 2nd, dude hits a ball in the gap, guy on second rounds third and is coming for home, the OF threw the ball home and the catcher has it and is blocking the plate maybe about a half ft up the line.... and the player didn't slide and they made contact

Ump said that the player has to slide and he ejected him from the game.... is that a correct ruling?.

 

[jsizelove32]

what type of contact was there? Did the runner lower his shoulder or make an effort to collide or intentionally hurt the catcher? I have not slid before when I was thrown out by 3 steps and just allowed the catcher to tag me out. You could say we made contact but it wasn't hard contact and it was obvious I wasn't attempting to create a collision or injure the catcher.

 

[tchaos7]

it was a bang bang play, they hit when the catcher caught the ball. and the guy running tried to avoid it but really couldn't.

 

[Gulf Coast Blue]

This happened a few weeks ago...

guy on 2nd, dude hits a ball in the gap, guy on second rounds third and is coming for home, the OF threw the ball home and the catcher has it and is blocking the plate maybe about a half ft up the line.... and the player didn't slide and they made contact

Ump said that the player has to slide and he ejected him from the game.... is that a correct ruling?.

I know of no National Organization that has a must slide rule.

There are a ****load of misinformed local groups that throw in that sort of language.

What an offensive player must not do.....is forcefully crash into a defender who has the ball waiting to make a play. (most rule sets)

The penalties vary....but include being out/ejected.

Without seeing the particular play you mentioned......no way to tell.

Joel

 

[rhound50]

There is no must slide for good reason, there are lots of people play rec ball who don't know how to slide and forcing them to do so would cause a lot of injuries and a high likelyhood of a lawsuit. The rule is the runner must attempt to avoid contact. If the player drops a shoulder and railroads the catcher he/she should be ejected. If the players makes a legit attempt to avoid a collision (this includes sliding) then the runner has done nothing wrong and play continues.

 

[BigSam]

the catcher has it and is blocking the plate

Key term bolded. A fielder with possession of the ball in softball trumps anything the runner might want to do. The fielder can't be run into, run over, slid through, or any other dbag move intended to dislodge the ball. All the runner can do is attempt to go around the fielder (without going more that 3' out of the base path) or surrender. In non-force situations they can retreat.

This is top five misunderstood concepts in softball and I have to explain it to teams once per game on average. Also in that list would be "he has to slide" and "wasn't that an infield fly" and "what do you mean I can't step in front of the runner without the ball."

 

[spos21ram]

Some leagues will have their own rules which I can't stand. I played at a field where you COULD NOT slide ever. I have also played at fields where you HAVE to slide. Both of these local rules are stupid. Book rule on this is the safest for everybody. Those that can slide can do so. If someone has no clue how to slide then they just have to make an attempt to avoid contact.

 

[thesteve]

Some leagues will have their own rules which I can't stand. I played at a field where you COULD NOT slide ever. I have also played at fields where you HAVE to slide. Both of these local rules are stupid. Book rule on this is the safest for everybody. Those that can slide can do so. If someone has no clue how to slide then they just have to make an attempt to avoid contact.

I subbed in a "league" that had a no slide rule ("league" because I was told they were just a bunch of companies that formed teams but had no contract with the city for fields, they just played wherever they could find an open field with the catcher calling fair/foul on hits down the line).

I got called out for sliding after being caught in a rundown. I think I was less than 6 feet away from the bad so my instincts kicked in and I took a headfirst lunge into third base. Apparently that was enough to warrant being called out for "sliding".

 

[ArkGuy]

In the OP's scenario, I think the applicable USSSA rule is 8-Sec.5.V. The defensive player with possession of the ball has a right to occupy the basepath. If the ump thinks the runner intentionally initiates contact, he's out, play's over, and if less than two outs before the play, othr runners are returned to their last held base. Oh, and dude shall be ejected. That's my understanding anyway.

But change the facts: say the throw beats the runner, but the fielder bobbles it. Does that give the runner license to bulldoze the fielder? Does bobbling the throw make this a per se case of obstruction? Is there no obligation on the runner to avoid contact if he can? What USSSA rule would cover this? 8-5-B?

THanks.

 

[Fin09]

Nothing gives the runner the right to intentionally bulldoze the defensive player. The defensive player must have control of the ball to occupy the line, so if he bobbles it and the runner unintentionally contacts him, play should continue. Judgment comes into play here, of course. The runner still needs to try and avoid contact. Train wrecks happen, but no situation gives a runner license to run over a fielder.

 

[ArkGuy]

Nothing gives the runner the right to intentionally bulldoze the defensive player. The defensive player must have control of the ball to occupy the line, so if he bobbles it and the runner unintentionally contacts him, play should continue. Judgment comes into play here, of course. The runner still needs to try and avoid contact. Train wrecks happen, but no situation gives a runner license to run over a fielder.

I don't disagree with anything you said but does any particular U-trip rule address the situation where a fielder juggles, and therefore does not "clearly have possession" of the ball prior to a collision?

If there is some affirmative obligation on the part of the runner to at least try to avoid contact, is it found in the rules somewhere?

Thanks.

 

[kknep15]

I'm playing in this hick league where there is no head first diving. Its more of a joke around the league but the ump will call you out if you do it.

 

[baseman]

Most slowpitch leagues in my town are no slide, I've tried to explain that this is less safe then being able to slide. I like the Tony Danza dive over the catcher move.