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(intentionally going after slow thinking defensive player)
Would you go to UC if 1) the runner was running on the most appropriate path for the situation and 2) any contact made is relatively minor?
Here's the sitch. 18U tourney of what should be experienced teams. You are BU. You know I coach my players to, let me clean this up a little bit, not shy away from contact with a defensive player. DD slaps an obvious twisty double to left (but getting to third is not a possibility) F3 is standing on/near the inside corner (where DD wants to step.) DD could go wider and avoid contact, but she is the leadoff hitter, she is our first base runner, and she gives a nudge to the much larger F3 as she is sailing by as a not so gentle reminder to get out of the runners path.
Her purpose in making contact was to draw your attention to where the defense is positioned without the ball and to remind the defender she needs to move out of the way. I'm not going to get off of bucket to come whine we should have been awarded third because despite Mike's shrill commentary, I do know the obstruction rule (been on the board 4 years and it is by far the most discussed topic.)
As an aside to the young coach, I run drills at my practices to de-sensitize my girls from shying away from contact both defensively (head down field the grounder, don't worry about contact with the runner) and offensively, no stutter steps as we saw in the CWS
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