This play happened in our (Gallatin Co.) game at Walton 2 weeks ago. Our catcher hit a long drive to left center. The left fielder cauht the ball and his momentum carried him about 3 strides into the fence. Upon impact with the fence the ball was dislodged. The umpire called the batter out.

I asked the umpire at yesterday's game what his call would have been and he said out. I know in the major leagues there has to be a "voluntary release" by the player to be a catch. Is the rule different in high school?

This play happened in our (Gallatin Co.) game at Walton 2 weeks ago. Our catcher hit a long drive to left center. The left fielder cauht the ball and his momentum carried him about 3 strides into the fence. Upon impact with the fence the ball was dislodged. The umpire called the batter out.

I asked the umpire at yesterday's game what his call would have been and he said out. I know in the major leagues there has to be a "voluntary release" by the player to be a catch. Is the rule different in high school?

IMHO, the fellow blue booted the call. Just guessing, but I would bet that he called the out too quickly and then would not change the call (sometimes you have to "eat" one).

 

PS...BTW,you are correct....you also have to have voluntary release in NFHS rules...that rule is universal regarding the definition of a catch.

:dancingpa

There is no such thing as a mandatory slide rule in high school. That is and has been a misperception. Players do not have to slide at any base at any time. Many younger umpires misinterpret this rule as well. There is not even a "true" no contact rule either. The gist of the rule, or rules, covering contact are that players may not initiate any type of contact with the defensive player which is seen as malicious in intent, or designed clearly to dislodge the baseball. This is primarily aimed at runners who are standing up and/or running through the play but I have even seen very rare instances when it was applied to a sliding situation. (And I do mean rare cases but I have seen it) The easiest way to avoid any such ruling against the runner is to slide, therefore the misperception that players "must" slide. In the event that a player does go in standing, there also is no automatic ruling that they are either out or out of the game. It is the umpire's interpretation of the intent of the runner as to how those situations are handled.

 

Bulldog, I am impressed you knew this one. Now you need to study up on the appeal play. :dancingpa

Gotcha

IMHO, the fellow blue booted the call. Just guessing, but I would bet that he called the out too quickly and then would not change the call (sometimes you have to "eat" one).

 

PS...BTW,you are correct....you also have to have voluntary release in NFHS rules...that rule is universal regarding the definition of a catch.

 

Just as I expected.:thumb:

Gotcha

 

I heard you had a pretty intersting play in your game last night. This was a catch/nocatch call.

 

I got a good laugh when the situation was explained to me.

To my knowledge there is no true mandatory slidde rule however there is a rule something along the lines of a runner has to at least attempt to avoid making direct contact. All in all, it's for the most part an indirect slide rule, with sliding being the most efficient and plausible way for "minimal" contact.

Is THIS what you mean by "Slide rule in high school baseball?"

 

This play happened in our (Gallatin Co.) game at Walton 2 weeks ago. Our catcher hit a long drive to left center. The left fielder cauht the ball and his momentum carried him about 3 strides into the fence. Upon impact with the fence the ball was dislodged. The umpire called the batter out.

I asked the umpire at yesterday's game what his call would have been and he said out. I know in the major leagues there has to be a "voluntary release" by the player to be a catch. Is the rule different in high school?

Allow me to respond as an umpire:

If a player catches the ball and takes 100 steps and then drops the ball...the runner is not out. However, 100% of the umpires will not make a call like this. But the true ruling is that the fielder must be in the act of attempting to make a throw, thus releasing the ball from his glove, in order for the rule to be made that the fielder made an actual catch. This is why you will often see coaches argue that a defender dropped a ball when attempting to turn a double play but if he had posession of the ball when he stepped on the bag and then was attempting to transfer the ball from his glove to his throwing hand and then drops it, the runner is still out.

 

As for the sliding rule issue...there is no mandatory sliding rule, however, as one poster correctly stated, there can be no malicious intent by the runner to cause injury or inflict bodily damage, nor intent to dislodge the ball OR INTERFERE WITH A FIELDER ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A PLAY. This is especially true when runners dont slide into second on a double play but stand up and impede the fielder's attempt to complete a throw to another base. Most coaches are smart enough to teach their players to slide because they dont want to risk an interference call (which would result in the batter-runner being called out automatically at 1st) and why risk an automatic 2 outs when you may only have to give up 1 out.

You will also see many runners at home slow up when they are about to tagged out by the catcher but no automatic call is made. That is because it is legal.

Mandatory slide rules are USUALLY only in place in Little League or Babe Ruth leagues (and other recreational leagues) in which the ruling is an automatic out if the runner does not slide if a play is about to be made on them. Any malicious contact (per the judgment of the umpire) results in automatic ejection from the game.

 

And it is correct about jumping...the only jumping allowed is when a fielder is lying on the ground and the runner has no other recourse but to jump over the fielder to continue his path.

There is a mandatory slide rule in softball IF the play is a close one. I have seen ladies get called out for not sliding if the throw comes in at the same time they cross the plate. I've been told this is to avoid possible injury.

 

Perhaps this is where some of the confusion is coming from.

Am I the only one that read the title to this thread and immediately thought

There is a mandatory slide rule in softball IF the play is a close one. I have seen ladies get called out for not sliding if the throw comes in at the same time they cross the plate. I've been told this is to avoid possible injury.

 

Perhaps this is where some of the confusion is coming from.

 

There is NO slide rule in softball...You are NEVER required to slide...Players ARE required to avoid contact...

By rule the runner does not have to slide but must to his best to avoid contact. Just because a runner doesnt lift hius elbows and lower his shoulder isnt good enough, they must do their best to avoid a direct collision.

TIGERDUDE 13, you had a very good response and explanation and I agree with everything but one. I think you just got carried away on the steps thing. If that was true,then an outfielder could catch the ball for the third out,continue to run towards the infield and suddenly in the infield drop the ball and the runner be safe. I don't think that was your intention. The rulebook specifies that if the fielder clearly has control of the catch-and that is the key-then the subsequent action of dropping the ball will not affect the out. If,however,the fielder makes the catch and continues in a stumbling steps not under control and drops the ball or in hitting the ground drops the ball, the runner can be declared safe. That is straight out of the case book and also included in the published "Approved Rulings" by the NFHS. I agree with you there are many misconceptions on rules. But it is not entirely others fault. The NFHS continues to review and clarify rulings and intents of rules, coaches,umpires and fans do not always read these updates and continue with the previous knowledge.

Ok. Some of you umpires. Jump on this. The way I understand it there is not a mandatory slide rule in HS baseball. Am I right?

 

I used to use a slide rule in high school, but then someone went and invented the calculator and all that hard earned knowledge went for naught.