Hurdling, jumping, diving over a fielder (FED)
 

My first post to this forum. I've been going over the case book and have many questions. Hope this is the appropriate place to ask them.

3.3.1.O The runner hurdles or jumps over the catcher. The ruling is that the runner is out.

I'm trying to determine exactly which rule covers this situation. Since this situation is under 3.3.1, I thought that it would be covered by rule 3-3-1, but I'm having trouble figuring out exactly how. Malicious contact is covered under 3-3-1n, but if the runner never makes contact with the catcher, is it malicious contact? 8-4-2d covers diving over a fielder. Are hurdling and jumping considered to be diving? The last sentence in the ruling says that a runner can jump or hurdle a player who is lying on the ground, but can never dive over a player, so it seems like hurdling/jumping are somewhat different from diving, but maybe I am taking it too literally?

Thanks for your help.

For simplicity, diving is a head-first act, hurdling and jumping are feet-first acts. They are distinctly different.

8-4-2-b-2.

Tom pretty much has it.

Remember the signs at the community pool that say "No diving" near the shallow end? That means head first. In FED you cannot dive no matter what the circumstances.

You cannot jump or hurdle anyone either unless they are flat on the ground (dropped to their knees but still upright is not considered "on the ground" for this rule).

Thanks Bob, but now I am really confused. The penalty for 8-4-2-b says immediate dead ball, but after looking through the case book a little closer, I found 8.4.2.T, which says that unless the runner makes contact or alters the play, the ball remains alive. So now it seems to me that hurdling/jumping is like diving and is covered under 8-4-2-d?

hurdling/jumping over a non-prone fielder and/or diving without contact/altering the play is illegal. Runner is out, ball remains live. This is not interference per se.

hurdling/jumping over a non-prone fielder and/or diving with contact/play alteration is interference, so normal INT penalty applies. Runner out, ball dead, other runners return to bases occupied at TOI.

OK, I think I found the rule covering jumping/hurdling without interference.

8-4-2-c

I guess I was a little confused because diving has its own separate rule (8-4-2-d), but I see now that you can never dive over a fielder in any situation but you can hurdle/jump over a fielder lying on the ground, hence the separate rule for diving.