OK. Had a high school game tonite and told my partner I would post this on the board for you Federation gurus.

R1 on 3B. One out. B2 hits a fly ball to F7. R1 tags up and takes off for home. F7 comes up firing to HP. R1 leaps around (not over) F2, who is about to receive thrown ball (runner looked like she was trying to avoid a tag). Is this leaping (per Federation Rule 8, Section 6-10, Note).

Unfortunately, I read this rule as pertaining to runner interfering with a fielder attempting to field a batted ball, attempting to throw a ball, or runner intentionally interfering with a thrown ball.

I know this is definetely a "had to be there" play, but hopefully you can envision it. To help out a little more; F2 received throw on foul side of line, R1 leaped on fair side of line.

Thanks,

It’s easier to apply a rule if you understand the rationale behind the rule. Picture a fielder set up low (i.e. catcher) just receiving the ball and ready to make a tag. Instead of sliding or going around, the runner decides to dive, hurdle, or leap completely over the defender. It's OK for a Tailback to hurdle his line into the end zone, but definitely a no-no for softball.

So it was outlawed. A few years ago the rules makers recognized that if the defender fell prone to the ground, the runner could step and jump over them at a minimal risk of injury. Thus the rule was modified to allow hurdling a player on the ground.

If your runner wasn't looking like a football player going over the top, or a high jumper trying to clear the bar, then this rule should not be applied to your situation.

WMB

An out for avoiding a tag does not apply if the fielder did not have possession.
The "about to receive" concept applies only to whether a fielder impeding the runner is obstruction or not.
Leaping while running is not illegal in itself as long as it is not over a fielder ("looking like a football player going over the top, or a high jumper trying to clear the bar", as Mr. Physiology said)

Leaping around doesn't violate Fed's rule on leaping over a fielder. I don't see any violation in this play for leaping.

Unless the player managed to leap more than three feet to either side of base path in avoiding this tag. :D

Scott,
That's why I said - in this play there's no "leaping" violation. There wasn't any question about how far out she'd gone.

Thanks everybody. I actually called the runner out, but only because she was tagged (and yes, she was inside the 3 foot base path). Between innings, partner and me talked about this one (was it "leaping" or just a play to avoid a tag?), and like I said earlier, I decided to post it here. I am with everybody; to call a runner out per Rule 8, Section 6-10Note, she would have to leap/jump/hurdle over the fielder.

Again, thanks.