[DownTownTonyBrown]

Incidental contact happens all the time and is generally what we see.

Malicious contact has no place in any level of ball I officiate - HS through JuCo. Runner should attempt to avoid contact - step around defender or slide IF YOU WANT. There is definitely no rule that says you must slide at these levels. Yes in lower levels there are rules about when and how to slide but not in High School or above.

NFHS 8-4-2 Second Note
NOTE: Runners are never required to slide, but if a runner elects to slide, the slide must be legal. (2-32-1, 2)

I see, what appear to be, a lot of ignorant and wrong comments in this thread. These kinds of plays are usually Had To Be There, HTBT. It is tough to judge intent, either the runners or the defenders, without seeing the play. Violence, intentional contact designed to injure or that could potentially injure should be penalized appropriately by the umpire - likely these are ALL malicious contact situations.

NFHS 8-3-2
Malicious contact supercedes obstruction. (my emphasis: there is never a reason for a runner to create malicious contact. To do so warrants immediate ejection. The umpire that does not eject better get his notebook out because there will likely be a bench clearing brawl real soon.... and it will be the umpire's fault)

Interference on the runner for a thrown ball that a defender is about to receive.....???? sounds ridiculous, unless the umpire judged it to be malicious... but again HTBT. Sounds like incidental to me.

Hopefully we are getting closer to unity and understanding of this type of contact. To not have unity here, will only perpetuate the problem.

Runners have the greatest opportunity and SHOULD AVOID CONTACT. A defender is somewhat restricted because he must go to the location of the ball to make a catch - this movement to make a catch often creates INCIDENTAL contact - not interference and not malicious, just incidental.