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Originally Posted by CoachJM
If I'm following your logic correctly, if hurling had been explicitly mentioned, you would suggest calling the runner safe. Yes?
Or, alternatively, perhaps you would suggest that the FED "gorilla balk" rule should be strictly enforced for USSSA games?
JM
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If hurdling were explicitly mentioned, I would suggest calling safe or out according to the directive of the rule.
Your alternative inference regarding "gorilla balk" isn't appropriate either: the USSSA pitching rules (8.08) are very closely copied from OBR, and do not resemble FED rules.
USSSA rules are a combination of at least two rulesets. We all know that the rules alone aren't sufficient-- that's why we have casebooks and umpire manuals. When an umpire is trying to decide if a particular action by a runner meets the requirement to "seek to avoid contact", he can't use OBR concepts, because "seeking to avoid contact" or "malicious contact" isn't part of those rules. He should invoke FED concepts, because that is the origination of this particular rule. Note that FED does not have a rule against hurdling, but rulebook comments and the casebook describe it as an illegal attempt to avoid unless the fielder is prone.
Neither I nor a coach is making up a rule regarding hurdling; the proper question here is whether the FED casebok ruling and rulebook comments should apply to USSSA games. I submit that this part of the USSSA rules derives from FED rules, and not OBR, and the intrepretations should be consistent with FED.