Legal Play at Home?
 

I know that hurdling is illegal in FED. At what point is something considered hurdling?

R1 coming home. Throw to the plate is off line just a bit. F2 drops to his knees to catch the ball then reaches back towards the baseline to attempt to tag R1. R1 jumps over the glove (say 12 inches off the ground) and is not tagged.

Is this legal? Is it not hurdling since the player is on his knees and reaching for the runner?

That is considered a hurdling situation. Player must be in a prone position per say for hurdling/jumping/diving to be legal.

Jumping over the glove / hand is legal. There's a specific interp on this.

FED rule 8-4-2b2.

"Runners are never required to slide, but if a runner elects to slide, the slide must be legal. Jumping, hurdling, and leaping are all legal attempts to avoid a fielder as long as the fielder is lying on the ground. Diving over a fielder is illegal."

The way I interpret this, the hurdling has to be over the top of a fielder not lying on the ground for it to be illegal.

It is? Why?

I am sure it is for safety purposes.

Peace

In every case, the Fed rule book uses the word "dive over" instead of hurdle. Diving over someone is legal if they are laying on the ground. Jumping over a glove or leaping to avoid a tag is not the same as diving over someone.

Not true.

Hurdling is covered under 8-4-2b.2 "Jumping, hurdling, and leaping are all legal attempts to avoid a fielder as long as the fielder is lying on the ground. (emphasis added) Diving over a fielder is illegal."

A couple of points:

1) Diving is *also* covered under 8-4-2d "Dives over a fielder." There are no exceptions here.

2) The fielder need not be "prone" as someone indicated (and as is often stated). He can be supine, or on his side, etc.

Supine??? Please don't tell me the FED book has this word in there. Regardless, I knew there was a reason I hated FED ball. I just wish I knew what planet they're playing on. :rolleyes:

No, it doesn't. It doesn't contain the word "prone" either (at least in regards to this rule).

That's just the feedback or definition I used from what I have opined from the rule. I have never seen it or never had to call it for that matter. I forgot to use the PC term.

Sorry for the use of the word diving, also.

Please clear up my confusion on the definition of "lying on the ground."

In this case, the catcher went to his knees to block/catch the ball and was in foul territory. He then lunged from his knees towards the baseline and runner. He was NOT lying on his stomach at the time of the attempted tag. Does this fall under "lying on the ground?"

No. And, if the runner had hurdled the torso or head of the fielder, the runenr would be out. If the runner hurdled the outstretched arms / glove (as I seem to recall happening), then it's a legal play.

Bob, these two quotes seem to be at odds with each other. I'm assuming there is a fine point I'm missing.

STOP IT! STOP IT NOW!!!

"Hurdle?" "Prone?" "Torso?" What the hell is this--anatomy class? Gymnastics??? Why the hell am I feeling like a pretzel or some contortionist upon reading this? :confused:

Ugh!!!!!!!!

God@#$% FED Rules!