How would you handle this

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by Big Slick

Do you have FED rule support for this?

Running someone over is MC, which is a form of interference with the added penalty. Seems to me, this is where things starting breaking down.

First thing, your interpretation does not agree with the interpretation we have been given (not that I completely agree) The justification is rule 8-6-13. The runner does not legally slide and causes illegal contact and/or illegally alters the actions of the fielder in the immediate act of making a play on her.

The key part of the rule is does not legally slide (as opposed to illegally slides). By wording this rule in this way, it allows the runner not to slide. By adding the and causes illegal contact to the rule it allows a runner to not slide, but puts the onus on said runner not to illegally contact the runner.

(Part of the issue is our association has a couple lawyers who analyze everything from a legal standpoint).

Now, as for my taking action in the first place. I told the coach to return to the coaches box AFTER my partner attempted to walk away from the play. At that point he has attempted to distance himself from the play and I was within my rights to ask her to return to her designated area. When she kept on him, that is when he attempted to restrict her, which she wasn't going to accept.


As for the coach wanting him to come to me. She is lucky that he didn't come to me for assistance because I would have not only said we have an out, but I personally would have been going against the interpretation we were given, and I would have ruled MC and ejected. I was not going to do that on a call where my partner was the primary calling umpire and had a clear view, then did not ask for assistance.

(Per a previous discussion that would not go well, because I was a B/U and would have ejected on a collision at the plate, and was clearly told not to do that on this board).


Blue Devil, the only difference between here and there is that Michigan does not carry over the penalty from year to year. An ejected coach or player is barred from the next day of competition (so both games of a DH in this case).