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Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve
Malicious Contact supercedes Obstruction in games where there is a "slide or avoid" style rule. Whether or not the fielder is blocking the base without the ball, the runners are not allowed to barrel over them. They have to be making a legitimate effort to reach the base for contact to be allowed. If they are trying to knock the fielder down, they will be ejected.
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I've seen some leagues with a rule that explicitly says "malicioius contact supercedes obstruction," in which case this *******ized rule would allow an obstructed runner to be called out for malicious contact. I do not think it is correct, however, to apply this statement to any league with a "slide or avoid style rule." Little League, for example, has what many would call a "slide or avoid style rule," but they do not have any interpretation that says malicous contact supercedes obstruction. In fact, LL's slide or avoid rule is worded in such a way that there could never be a violation of the rule on an obstructed runner. There certainly could, however, be "malicious contact" by an obstructed runner, and the proper ruling would be to eject the runner for his unsportsmanlike conduct, and then place his substitute on the base he would have reached had the obstruction not occurred.
In other words, penalize the malicious contact, and penalize the obstruction. No superceding going on.