Umpire for 42 years...

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by Agreen_14

I'll try to explain the slide a little better... R1 took a wide angle to second and at the last second slid into the inside of the bag, cleats high but not too high and slid through the bag with his right knee up. R1 was clearly not going to make the base safely and did what he could to bust up the SS from making the throw... So I guess now after rethinking the whole situation it was partially intentional. It was definitely hardball legal, I'm not sure about Church Men's softball. He could've easily broke the SS's leg.

Obviously HTBT, but here are a couple of things about a play like this...

1) Was the runner already retired before he reached the vacinity of the base? A runner is always allowed to put maximum effort to get to his base as quickly as possible, and to slide into that base. He is not required to go "poof" once he is retired, and he is not required to assume the defense will make the play even if it seems like he is a dead duck. However, if he was retired 15 feet from the bag, and he still tried a "take-out" slide, then you might have something.

2) ASA does not provide different base-running rules for the different levels of play (with the obvious exceptions of things like 10U B and no stealing in certain classes of slowpitch).

3) If the runner had remained on his feet and crashed into the defender, you would also have something, but as an umpire, you can't call the game based on what you think "should be fair" - you have to call it by the rules. And, a legal slide is ALWAYS legal contact.

[Agreen_14]

I got ya dakota. The play was closer than 15 feet. I'd say F6 caught the ball-tagged base-starts throw-runner slides. You see F6 also came off the bag going forward with his throw to 1st which put him in a bad situation, but, the runner, I do not think had to slide.

[Agreen_14]

Guys I've seen things in this league while playing, and now that I know the rules a lot better, the players get away with a lot. Take for instance last Fall, we played this team that had a 3rd baseman that was fearless. If there was a play at 3rd with the ball coming in from the outfield, he would protect the base like a goal to try to prevent you from getting to the bag. The ball was clearly not in his hands yet and he's down on both knees blocking the bag so that he could catch the ball and make a tag. The runners only option was to either run around him, slide through him, or jump over him... This is OBS right? If not, then I definitely need to reread the book.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by Agreen_14

If there was a play at 3rd with the ball coming in from the outfield, he would protect the base like a goal to try to prevent you from getting to the bag. The ball was clearly not in his hands yet and he's down on both knees blocking the bag so that he could catch the ball and make a tag. The runners only option was to either run around him, slide through him, or jump over him... This is OBS right? If not, then I definitely need to reread the book.

It is probably obstruction... "probably" because blocking the base is not obstruction - impeding the progress of the runner is. Whether or not this was obstruction would depend on where the runner was and what he did.