Collision at the plate
 

I recently had my field test for my association, (all first year umps are required to do a double header to evaluate if they can move on to the second year of a two-year apprentice program) and everything went well. My game at the plate had a pretty rough collision where the catcher, with the ball, got railroaded by the runner coming in. I was taught by the trainers that if anyone ever came in standing up and made contact that he was out, but if they really crushed the guy, it was MC and an ejection was warrented. so I wound up and tossed the kid, much to the joy of my evaluators, and much to the shock of the kid and the coach (even the catcher wanted to know why the kid was ejected)

my question is, this play happens all the time at the major league level and it's legal isn't it? is it just FED rules that don't allow for contact? I know this is a noob question to ask, but I am concerned that I have either the intent or the text of the rule wrong

Joe

ToGreySt,

Sometimes when the catcher gets "railroaded" in this situation, it's just a "train wreck"; sometimes it's malicious contact. This is solely a matter of umpire judgement.

I'm not especially impressed with your trainers based on your description of how they suggested you apply your judgement in these situations.

In professional baseball (MLB/MiLB) this is an accepted part of the game. (If you don't believe me, ask Johnny Estrada, Michael Barrett, etc.)

At all levels below professional baseball, there are rules intended to prevent a runner from "bulldozing" the catcher.

JM

Contact itself is not illegal. The phrase "slide or avoid" is often heard but it's not totally accurate. When there is contact you have to judge the intention. If the runner made no attempt to avoid the contact then you're correct in ruling an out. If the contact was malicious then you also have grounds for an ejection.

Often times, though, it's nothing. You simply have 2 players trying to legally occupy the same spot on the field.