quote:Originally posted by dash_riprock:quote:Originally posted by Matt13:
No, because the glove is not the fielder. The OP is not committing an illegal act.
That is a bit misleading, Matt.
The glove is not part of the fielder but the hand inside the glove is. Granted, the OP is borderline. But the obvious spirit of the rule is, FED doesn't want the runner's spikes in the air over the fielder unless the fielder is lying on the ground.
The OP is difficult to call by looking at words on a screen, but not so difficult on the field. A runner trying to avoid the outstretched glove of a kneeling fielder is going to go around the glove, not over it. If he's close enough that he must jump over it to avoid the tag, I'm calling him out.
Okay, the hand/arm are not the fielder, and you would be incorrect. "Over the fielder" means over the main body--or at least it did two years ago when I got the interpretation from FED on this very question.
Plus, 8.2.1D has the OP as legal, if you want a casebook reference.