|
There are sure signs of malicous contact - lowering the shoulder, throwing an elbow, etc.
It is the gray areas that I wanted to talk about. Of course, discussing this in print has limitations...
I agree that merely being avoidable is not necessarily malicious, but it will be one of the things I will be looking for.
Assume the fielder was relatively static in place and stayed there while the runner rounded 3rd and headed home, and assume the fielder's position would definitely require the runner to deviate from her path to the base.
If the runner has the entire 50+ feet to decide to deviate and does not, that is certainly a strong indicator of intent to collide in my view.
Another factor would be the violence of the collision. If the runner could have aovided, but does not, and plows full speed into the fielder, that will likely be judged as malicous by me whether or not the shoulder was lowered.
OTOH, there can also be malicous contact that is not particularly violent, but here I would be looking for such things as lowered shoulder, thrown elbow, etc.
__________________
Tom
|