Obstruction/interference/"malicious" contact non-ruling (NFHS)...

[jcwells]

UmpJM, by your description, the slide would be considered legal, because F2 was crouching down, moving toward a catch and tag. R2's foot was near, but not above standing knee height.

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

It's slide or avoid contact, not slide and avoid contact. The runner is not required to do both. As long as the slide was legal, so was the contact.

SanDiegoSteve, I don't have my NFHS rule book with me right now, so I'll accept your quote regarding or vs. and. The quote that confuses me here is from the CHSBUA (Colorado High School Baseball Umpire Assoc.) bulletin issued to us coaches at the beginning of the HS season:

Runners never have to slide, but MUST avoid contact.

Additional quotes from this bulletin regarding obstruction:

Obstruction

• Fielder blocking a base must have the ball.
• Primarily applies to plays at the plate and pickoffs at first.
• Does not apply to “train wrecks,” etc.

I don't think this situation falls under the "train wreck" catagory.

I'm just trying to figure out how this all fits together. Thanks for the help!

John

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by jcwells

. The quote that confuses me here is from the CHSBUA (Colorado High School Baseball Umpire Assoc.) bulletin issued to us coaches at the beginning of the HS season:

Runners never have to slide, but MUST avoid contact.

If that's all the slide says, and it stands alone, then it's wrong (at least by the FED rules used in mos tof the rest of the country).

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by jcwells

The quote that confuses me here is from the CHSBUA (Colorado High School Baseball Umpire Assoc.) bulletin issued to us coaches at the beginning of the HS season:

Runners never have to slide, but MUST avoid contact.

I would check with the person who writes your bulletins to clarify what exactly he meant by that. I would be willing to bet that he meant that the runner does not ever have to slide, but if he does not, he must avoid illegal contact. Rule 8-4-2b and NOTE.