Rules interpretation

I could be wrong (it's frequent) but I don't think HS baseball has a "must slide / avoid contact" rule.

MMWS where are you?

RFC,

Were the bases loaded making this a force play?

no, runner on 2nd, ball hit to center field, 1 out

PD,

There is a rule that says you must avoid contact. They can't say "must slide" because IF a kid slides and hurts himself, that would make the organization that made the rule liable....

From what umpires tell me....If there is a play, the player must avoid contact by sliding or going around the tag....this is strictly a judgement call on whether the contact is "intentional." That is where the decision is made by the ump on whether or not to impose a penalty....If the umps views it a flagrant, then its an ejection.

I'm pretty sure about this. Hope this helps,

Sounds to me the call was the correct one. NFHS did institute the force play rule several years ago. Of course, with anything the NFHS puts in place it takes a while to get it straightened out.

The force play rule is the same as the NCAA. Basically there is no more "breaking up two". If it's a force play, then the runner being forced out can: 1)slide, or 2) give up. If they choose to slide, it must be legal. They can slide away from the fielder, or they can slide directly to the base. They may not make contact outside or inside, or behind the base. They can't roll, they can't pop up into the fielder making the play/throw, and their foot must be below the knee. Essentially, they can't alter the play. If so, then dead ball, runner is out, batter/runner is out, and all other runners return to the base occupied at the time of the pitch.

Sound fairly simple? What about a potential 3-6-3 double play. The runner on 1st is headed to second and knows he's done. He looks to see where the SS is headed, and goes directly at the base or away from the direction the SS is headed. 1B makes his throw and it's offline, causing the SS to change directions directly into the path of the baserunner who had already started sliding. What is it? Whose call is it? Whose call is it on a routine double play ball? Did the offense do what they should, but the defense cause it? Come on, quickly now. What is it?

What if there is no way they will even attempt the play at first? They're just doing good to get the out at 2nd?

There is no "no contact" rule. There is a malicious contact rule. That one can get tricky, too. It's not always cut and dried, and when it coes down to it, it's only one person's judgment.

Panther Proud, SWAC, and Change Up can cover my back on this, and a couple of others (if I'm right.) If I'm wrong, I'm blaming it on the 14 year olds I coach and my wife.

MMWS, my partner and I called two dead ball double plays in games this week because the runner altered the play at 2B; in one case there was no contact but the runner went directly in the path of the SS preventing him from making a throw. This very well respected coach came up to me and said how can you guys call that an out when the SS did not attempt a throw to 1B? I ask the coach, is it possible the SS did not attempt the throw because your runner prevented him from doing so? He laughed and said I get your point, lets play ball.