Coach physically assists

[DaveASA/FED]

The way it was described to me at a clinic some years ago is the coach has to do something to assist the runner, merely having contact is not assisting the runner. The play that was under discussion there was when a runner slides into the coach knocking them to the ground (don't recall how the runner got there but the important part for this discussion is the coach is on the ground and the runner is on top of them). The ruling was if the coach simply has a defensive nature, blocking or "catching" the runner as they fell there is nothing, but the instant the coach pushes the runner away from them to help them up that's when there is physical assistance.

Again this is umpire judgement and you can judge they assisted by being in the way in your senario...but I think most umpires would need a little more action from the coach to make them rule the coach actually physically assisted the runner.