Runner pushes fielder

I would say no. I have liked to have seen the play but it sounds like an interference call to me. Did the manager question it?

Yes, the manager questioned it. The ump said he didn't see the push, but it was very clear that the runner ran behind third baseman and pushed him forward past the bag. (Guess the ump blinked.) Some friends of mine from the other team said they believed it was fair play to push the fielder out of the way-- they saw the push and don't argue it didn't happen.

Just wondering about its legality. I believe we had a player ejected from a game in competitive ball for similar and I assumed it was illegal in HS ball rules as well to shove a fielder out of the way.

HTBT but, sounds like interference to me. You say "the ump didn't see the push", that might explain why no call. But sounds like an easy interference call to me, with very possibly an ejection.

Thanks!

If the sequence was (1) stumbled over the bag, (2) fell, and (3) only then dropped the ball, then the runner was out on a force play anyway, since the bag was tagged before the ball came loose. If this call was properly made, there may not have been a need for an interference call, though if the play was deemed flagrant, and ejection might have been in order.

In our HS rules, there's a "must slide or avoid" rule that would hold the runner out and also have him ejected for the rest of that game and all of the next game.

Mildo;

I'm not sure were you live in Virginia, but there is not a must slide rule in Virginia high school. If you slide, it must be a legal slide.

Midlo: shoved, fell across bag into foul territory, lost ball. Probably should have been out. Yes, flagrant IMO. No attempt to slide, and a concerted effort to push the guy down.
Though the ump didn't see it, most spectators on both sides did.

There was some polite debate between the fans, with the other side saying shoving is allowed in order to get to the bag and the fielder was blocking it by running in the baseline ahead of the runner. My own understanding is that that sort of flagrant contact isn't allowed. Granted, most of my experience is with competitive ball/tournaments rather than HSchool ball. My son is a freshman on the varsity fall ball team.

I guess what I am having a hard tme understanding is where the umpire was that he would not have seen the "push".....

The ball was hit to F5....He fielded it and was racing to 3rd and was pushed from behind....

From what I read, I would lean towards interference and a possible ejection for malicous contact...(that is a HTBT)......

If the base umpire was in the C position, I cant see how he would be screened on this play.....unless this was one of those "one man games" we all hate....

Am I missing something...??

Pirate Fan: I don't have the rule book at my side at the moment, but we had a player called out AND ejected AND suspended for the next game for a collision just last spring.

The thing I don't understand above is, if the player has the ball in his glove, if it's a force play, and he "stumbles over the bag", then he touched the bag while still possessing the ball and the runner is OUT. Whether a rule was violated or not, the runner is still OUT just because it was a force play!

Midlo, I'm not sure what was on the ump's mind with the force, or how he didn't see the push that most everyone else saw... That's why the manager hit the field. Ump directed him back to the dug-out and said he saw no push and thought the fielder missed the bag. Sometimes you just throw up your hands, grind your teeth, and move on. I needed to clarify for myself that shoving a fielder is not endorsed by HS baseball rules. Just this one ump.

Mildo;

If your player was ejected for malicious contact, then that was the correct call. If he was ejected because he did not slide, then that is the wrong call.

Running into a player on a tagged play is legal. Malicious is when the player lowers his shoulders and rams into the player with the ball; comes in with arms crossed and elbows, etc. The tolerance level for umps will vary, but a good ump will know the difference between a collision and malicious contact.

Either way, there is not a must slide rule.

As far as the ball coming loose; if it was not a voluntary release, the the runner is safe.

The way we play the "slide or avoid" rule is this:

If a runner "mows down", say, the catcher coming home, without sliding, and the catcher loses the ball, the run counts, and play continues. Once the play is over, ump calls 'time', and the runner is ejected for the remainder of the game, and also the next game for malicious contact.

Like Pirate Fan said, there is rarely an Official Slide or Avoid rule

quote:

catcher loses the ball, the run counts,

I thought the runner would be out in this situation????

I thought the ground couldn't cause a fumble????


Sorry guys - I couldn't help it when I read the post.

yea, but... the play in question was at third base on a fielded ball, not a throw down at home.

quote:

Originally posted by catcher09:

quote:

catcher loses the ball, the run counts,

I thought the runner would be out in this situation????

You are correct. The only time the run would score would be if the contact is after he has scored, then he just ejected.

interference, dead ball, runner out, other runners (if any) return to TOI bases.

could be an ejection depending on the severity of the push. would have to be a hard shove for that, though