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...straight into the bag, no popping up.
There is a little more to the FORCE-PLAY-SLIDE RULE
The intent of the force-play-slide rule is to ensure the safety of the defensive player. This is a safety as well as an interference rule.
Whether the defense could have completed the double play has no bearing on the applicability of this rule. This rule pertains to a force-play situation at any base, regardless of the number of outs.
On any force play, the runner must slide on the ground and in a direct line between the two bases.
Exception – A runner need not slide directly into a base as long as the runner slides or runs in a direction away from the fielder to avoid making contact or altering the play of the fielder.
"On the ground" means either a head-first slide or a slide with one leg and buttock on the ground.
"Directly into a base" means the runner’s entire body (feet, legs, trunk and arms) must stay in a straight line between the bases.
Actions by a runner are illegal and interference shall be called if:
The runner slides or runs out of the base line in the direction of the fielder;
The runner uses a rolling, cross-body or pop-up slide and either makes contact with or alters the play of a fielder:
The runner’s raised leg makes contact higher than the fielder’s knee when in a standing position;
The runner goes beyond the base and either makes contact with or alters the play of the fielder;
"Beyond the base" means any part of the offensive player’s body makes contact with or alters the play of the fielder beyond the base.
The runner slashes or kicks the fielder with either leg;
The runner illegally slides toward or contacts the fielder even if the fielder makes no attempt to throw to complete a play
The intent of the force-play-slide rule is to ensure the safety of the defensive player. This is a safety as well as an interference rule.
Whether the defense could have completed the double play has no bearing on the applicability of this rule. This rule pertains to a force-play situation at any base, regardless of the number of outs.
On any force play, the runner must slide on the ground and in a direct line between the two bases.
Exception – A runner need not slide directly into a base as long as the runner slides or runs in a direction away from the fielder to avoid making contact or altering the play of the fielder.
"On the ground" means either a head-first slide or a slide with one leg and buttock on the ground.
"Directly into a base" means the runner’s entire body (feet, legs, trunk and arms) must stay in a straight line between the bases.
Actions by a runner are illegal and interference shall be called if:
The runner slides or runs out of the base line in the direction of the fielder;
The runner uses a rolling, cross-body or pop-up slide and either makes contact with or alters the play of a fielder:
The runner’s raised leg makes contact higher than the fielder’s knee when in a standing position;
The runner goes beyond the base and either makes contact with or alters the play of the fielder;
"Beyond the base" means any part of the offensive player’s body makes contact with or alters the play of the fielder beyond the base.
The runner slashes or kicks the fielder with either leg;
The runner illegally slides toward or contacts the fielder even if the fielder makes no attempt to throw to complete a play
We actually had this situation our last game.
We had a runner on 1st, grounder to 2nd, flipped to the SS at the bag. Our guy slid hard into the bag and sent the guy flying. The other team had a fit, saying we tried to intentionally take out the base runner. They compalined that his foot came up at the SS. After thinking about it for a little bit, is it possible that if a player slides into a bag with the top half of his body shifted back, wouldn't one or both of their legs come off the ground naturally???
We had a runner on 1st, grounder to 2nd, flipped to the SS at the bag. Our guy slid hard into the bag and sent the guy flying. The other team had a fit, saying we tried to intentionally take out the base runner. They compalined that his foot came up at the SS. After thinking about it for a little bit, is it possible that if a player slides into a bag with the top half of his body shifted back, wouldn't one or both of their legs come off the ground naturally???
Yes, it is natural to expect one or both legs to come off the ground, and that is why the rule does not apply unless the raised leg makes contact higher than the fielders knee....anything higher than that has been deemed an attempt to interfere with the play....