Source of a rules myth?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

To be fair, I actually had a 18 year old F3 ask me last week, after a steal in which I banged out R1 (kid never slid, little bit hesitant on the new rubber astroturf stuff, but I digress), "He was out because he didn't slide right".

At first, I thought he meant if the kid had sliden he might have gotten in there. I replied "Guess we'll never know...".

He replied, "No, its a rule right?"

Way back in my playing days, after I stole 2nd, F4 asked the ump a similar question. The throw beat me by 3 steps, F4 catches the ball and lays the glove on the ground. Rather than slide into the glove, I just slowed down and stepped over it onto the bag.

"Safe."

F4: "Doesn't he have to slide?"
Ump: "He avoided the tag."