Coach physically assists

[chymechowder]

Originally Posted by 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.

What if there's accidental contact that assists the runner's decision? Had this last summer in men's USSSA slow pitch:

Runner on second. Base hit to the outfield. Runner doesn't slow down as he rounds third. Throw is made to the plate. Runner bumps into the coach who's about 20 feet down the line from third. Runner, having lost all his momentum, scampers back to third safe.

The coach was not trying to stop the runner's advance. The contact was accidental. But I ruled the runner out because, in my opinion, the runner possibly benefited from the contact.

Had there been no impending play at the plate--say the ball was still rolling the gap and the runner, after the bump, continued home uncontested--I wouldn't have called anything. But I thought it would be unfair to the defense if they were denied a chance to put the runner out at home as a result of the contact.

Right or wrong call?