FPSR Question

[bob jenkins]

I think the onus is on the runner to avoid the contact. So, it's HTBT, and I agree with UmpTT, but the benefit of the doubt goes to the defense.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

I think the onus is on the runner to avoid the contact. So, it's HTBT, and I agree with UmpTT, but the benefit of the doubt goes to the defense.

+1

The reason that the defense gets the benefit of the doubt is that the runner has a way to avoid INT in every situation: slide directly into the base. Any other course carries some risk.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

I think the onus is on the runner to avoid the contact. So, it's HTBT, and I agree with UmpTT, but the benefit of the doubt goes to the defense.

+1

The runner can ALWAYS avoid a FPSR call by sliding directly to the base. Do anything else and he's taking a risk. If the defense is already making a throw to first, it's easy to slide away. But if he's still waiting on the ball, I'm giving the benefit to the defense -- he can complete the play however he wants.

[dash_riprock]

Excellent posts. The question is: "If the runner slides away from a fielder making a play, does the slide become a legal slide? If so, can the same slide subsequently become illegal?"

Incidentally, I wish they would delete "illegal" and "illegally" from 8-4-2-b. As written, it implies that a runner can slide illegally (or not slide legally) and still cause legal contact or altering of the play. I don't believe that is the case.

[jicecone]

What makes it more interesting is that at the FED level, case plays and interps suggest that any contact away from the bag constitutes illegal contact. In this situation you find yourself having to discern between the black and white of the interps or the grey area generated by the play.