Official rule - contact at home

After asking various weekend umpires, I've gotten just as many various answers so I wanted to reach out here; not only for an official (up to date rule book ordered today) rule and coaching advice to guide catchers and base runners.


The situation involved a collision at the plate between the catcher (had just caught the ball, but had not dropped to block - high throw) and the base runner. It appeared clear that the runner had access to the plate, but did not slide, creating the contact (very hard collision and ball was dislodged). Now my understanding is that the runner isn't obligated by rule to slide, but if the contact is ruled malicious in intent she would be out and possibly ejected. I've had collision at the plate before, both on a hard slide and also on runners attempting to go around the catcher when a collision happens, but never one in this manner where the base runner ran directly into the catcher. Don't get me wrong, the runner didn't lower her shoulder as we use to see on ESPN, but she did lower herself (in my opinion to brace for the contact) and ran directly into the catcher.


My questions here is 1) although a large amount of judgment is involved here, how would this type of contact be ruled and 2) what are most coaches/parents teaching to best prepare players (catchers and baserunners) to be safe physically and safe on the bases? I just won't to make sure I'm doing the best job I can educating myself to best prepare my players. Thanks!

 

My daughter is a college catcher and as such has been on both sides of this scenario. I can give you two solid examples from just the last month of play alone:

Example 1: She was the base runner, standing on 2nd when ball was hit to right center. As she approached home, the catcher - with no play on the ball - planted herself, squatted in the middle of the plate. Daughter, with no access went down into feet first slide, contacted gear and got her foot in. Ruling at the plate? Safe. Contact was no malicious but created by catcher's illegal blocking of plate when there was no active play at home.

Example 2: Daughter is the catcher. Runner on 3rd, ball hit to short, runner takes off from home. Throw home is made. Daughter gets down, blocks 3rd base/rear of plate, and makes tag on player as she crosses plate as her feet are taken out from under her. Tag appears on runner very close call. Ruling: Runner out due to intentional contact. Plate was not completely blocked, there was a play at the plate, contact should have been avoided.

There are a lot of factors that the blue considers when making those calls on plays at home. 1. Was contact necessitated because all entry to the plate was blocked? 2. If so, was contact meant to be malicious/to cause harm, or was the only intent to try to get the run scored. 3. Was there a play at the plate that gave catcher the right to block the plate from entry? Those are just a few.


MOST blue that we have had call games from middle school to college would have called the runner out for the colliding with the catcher in a standing position IF A) There was an active play at the plate or B) the runner did not make an attempt to avoid the type of collision.

However, you would be hard pressed to see this girl ejected from the game for this, unless it was overwhelmingly evident the collision was for purely malicious purposes.