contact and interference

[DownTownTonyBrown]

Originally posted by scyguy
in FED rules, if contact is made and it is not malicious, do we not kill it anyway? Runner interference and send runner back to first if he had not reached 2nd at time of interference?

There is a whole level of play never approaching malicious.

Incidental contact - play on, independent of the violence of the contact. This is where 98% of play resides.

Intentional contact - HTBT but likely a dead ball and yes the above penalties you mention. Maybe another 1.5% of play

Malicious contact - dead ball, ejection, possible removal of just scored run (Force Play Slide Rule). Last 0.5% of play.

I just guessed at the percentages but the vast majority of contact is incidental and play continues.