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My daughter catches for her HS team and a travel team (which I coach) and this is a sore subject with me. She has been injured in several collisions at the plate while holding the ball. Fortunately, none have been serious.
No....there is not a must slide rule, but personally I think umpires could do more to protect the catcher. If a runner comes in standing up, or even worse lowering a shoulder, there should at least be a strong warning if not an ejection.
Too many umpires don't want the controversy and catchers pay the price.
My daughter was crashed into twice in one game by the same player. Both plays were close outs, but both throws were high. Had the runner got down she would have been safe both times. The player was obviously overly aggressive, but never received a warning.
The GHSA rule changes regarding obstruction (defender has to have possession of the ball instead of in the process of recieving the ball) has some coaches encouraging players to
bump or nudge defenders that may be blocking the base, instead of focusing on critical sliding and baserunning skills.
Some preventive umpiring could go a long way in this situation.
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