Diving over a fielder
 

I missed the following question on my state test:

R1, one out. R1 is stealing on the pitch. B3 hits a line drive to F3's right. F3 dives and catches the ball for the 2nd out. While F3 is lying on the ground, R1 dives over F3's prone body and gets back to first base before F3 is able to tag either R1 or the base.

a. R1 is guilty of interference.
b. R1 is out for diving over F3.
c. F3 is guilty of obstruction and R1 is awarded second base.
d. Legal play.

I said (b), the state says its (d).

Rule 8-4-2-b-2: "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."

What am I missing? Thanks for your input.

I agree with your answer.

Me, Too
 

I, too, got that one wrong. After studying it for about two hours I emailed Mark Uyl at MHSAA to ask about it. He'll likely respond by Monday. He's pretty good at responding to rules questions.

I've successfully argued missed questions on FED exams. They typically contain mistakes, which I jump all over.

Diving over a fielder that is on his own two feet is illegal. A fielder laying on the ground is not. The state is correct. This is the same ruling in FB too.

RULING: Legal. The poster would have been called out for diving over missed questions.

Disagree. The rule distinguishes between jumping and diving over a fielder who is lying on the ground. A runner who jumps over such a fielder lands on his feet; a runner who dives does not.

Not quite the same in FB, which does not have fielders. ;)

I'd love to see that.

True, but a ball carrier is not allowed to hurdle unless the player, offense or defense, is lying on the ground. So the ruling is similar in FB.

According to the rules, given that they distinguish between jumping, hurdling...and diving, diving over ANY fielder is illegal. I'm almost certain there is a case play on this. I'll post it if/when I find it, provided someone doesn't beat me to it.

In Hockey I can body check a player trying to score and not have INT/OBS called on me. Should I now also assume this is the same as bowling over the catcher? :eek: I can't for the life of me figure out how diving in FB has any bearing on diving in BB.

The rules clearly state that you can dive over a fielder that is lying on the ground. I was only using the FB reference for comparison saying FB was similar to baseball in this regard. Nowhere did I say that since you can drill the QB in FB can you drill the catcher in baseball. See what you read and read what you see. Don't put words into my post.

Oh, goody. A race! Maybe I can win......

3.3.1 SITUATION O: On a play at the plate, F2, who is on his knees, is about to receive the throw. R1 decides to hurdle F2 or jump over him feet-first. RULING: The runner is out. A runner is entitled to slide legally or legally attempt to get around a fielder who has the ball waiting to make the tag. Going over the top of the fielder who is not lying on the ground by hurdling, jumping over or diving over the fielder is dangerous and, therefore, illegal. A runner may jump or hurdle a fielder, who is lying on the ground, but diving over a fielder always is illegal.

Nope. See Dave's post.

My bad, anything BUT dive.

Calm down, Hoss. I was being a smart a$$ because you compared BB and FB rules (that are not the same). I wasn't putting words in your mouth - did you miss the ":eek:" I added for comic relief?

Mr Reed, you win. And thanks for posting.

So a flying ninja kick is legal over a fielder on the ground; just not flying headbutts.:p

A flying headbutt is also legal as long as the runners feet are beneath him.

This is not close to the football ruling. It is illegal to hurdle an "opponent who is contacting the ground with no part of his body except one or both feet."

It's legal to hurdle a defender who is kneeling, sitting, or bent over with one or both hands on the ground.

Again, didn't say it was the same, just similar.

Actually you said, "This is the same ruling in FB too."

You also defended diving as legal (same as in FB), and claimed the incorrect answer to the exam was indeed correct.

But I'm not keeping track.;)

That's quite a leap, but at least we got over that hurdle.

MHSAA Response to the "Dive" Question
 

Mark at MHSAA replied to my inquiry regarding this question. He stated, in so many words, that a runner may not "dive" over a defender, even one lying on the ground. Mentioned also that those who had that response were given credit on the state's internal database that registers everyone's grade

Define Lying Down
 

I get confused sometimes when we get a little off track in the posts so I am assuming that Lying Down would be in a Prone Position (flat out, on back or on stomach). Knees on the ground (one or two), sitting on the ground is not lying down, therefore a runner can not Jump, hurdle, leap or dive over the fielder if the fielder is not lying down, Illegal and Runner called Out. Diving over a fielder in any position is illegal, Runner called Out. This is how I am understanding the rule and application. I guess I would have answered B as well.

Actually, I believe that prone would be flat out on stomach. Lying down on back would be supine. :p

Great usage of proper medical nomenclature.;)