Contact rule

[PABlue]

Contact rule (all divisions) Babe Ruth baseball (OBR rules)

"If a runner attempting to reach home plate intentionally and maliciously runs into a defensive player in the area of home plate, he will be called out on the play and ejected from the game. The objective of this is to penalize the offensive team for deliberate,unwarranted, unsportsmanlike action by the runner for the obvious purpose of crashing the defensive player, rather than trying to reach home plate. Obviously this an umpires judgement call."

This was copied directly from the 2006 rule book. The question I have is if this same kind of contact occurs at any of the other bases is the same rule in effect?
I know the rules for illegal contact and malicious contact for FED,LL and Legion.MY question is specific to this Division. We have a coach at the 12 and under age that thinks he's Billy Martin and loves to argue alot. He says that any other base but home his players can run into the fielder since it isn't specifically mentioned in the rule book.
This is only the second year for Babe Ruth ball in our area and I want to make sure that I'm calling this the right way.

[BigUmp56]

Sounds like your "Billy Martin" will end up getting fired just like the real one did.

The reason for the additional wording to 6.05 (m) in the Babe Ruth rule book was to implement a more severe penalty other than just an ejection when a fielder crashes the catcher. If you judge malicious contact then he's out even if he contacted the plate first, unlike in other rules codes where the run is scored.

If he really needs a rule you can tell him that all malicious contact is unsportsmanlike conduct, which is covered in 9.01(d). Then, if that isn't enough to satisfy him you should tell him he can join his player in your ejection report if he would like.


Tim.

[PABlue]

Tim,
I understand the contact rule as written. The question is if it also pertains to any other base but home and where that reference would be.

[BigUmp56]

You won't find a rule that specifies what other bases this applies to. The best you'll find is 9.01(d) which lets us eject for any unsporstmanlike conduct. Perhaps an e-mail to Mr. Tellefsen is in order for a better clarification.


Tim.

[DG]

I was a Babe Ruth Baseball coach in the early 90's when they did not have a malicious contact rule. I submitted several videos of malicous contact plays involving 10 and 11 year olds with my pleas to implement such a rule. Finally, a rule was adopted, that applied to plays at the plate only. Your quote is correct, and clear. Malicious contact only applies at home in Babe Ruth games.

[BigUmp56]

I guess I'm not very clear on what you're saying, DG. Are you trying to say that there can be no MC calls at any other base except home? If so, I assure youi that's not the case. All contact judged malicious is an immediate ejection, including defensive MC(unnecessarily hard tag, trip, etc...) The rule clarification was put in place to allow for the runner at home to be called out on MC regardless of whether or not he reached the plate prior to the contact.


Tim.