Slide or avoid - High School

I'm assuming that this was a steal of second or a 2 base hit, since you mentioned that the fielder put down a tag. The overslide and directly into the bag rule don't apply to this case so we can ignore that part of your question.

Runners are not allowed to slide with their spikes high in the air. Personally, I would not interpret 6" as unreasonably high off the ground. I just took my shoe measurement and it is just over four inches wide. If my foot were two inches off of the ground, the top edge would be 6 inches in elevation.

I interpret the rule to mean that the runner cannot come with spikes at the fielder's knees. That'a about 16 inches off of the ground. Bottom line, I think the other teams manager is full of s&^%. He doens't know the rule. The umpire's call in this case is limited to safe or out. There is nothing else to call.

Under NFHS rules, if a runner is going to slide it must be a legal slide...which is described as "in a direct line" to the bag...which is what I picture from your post.

A feet first slide has the possiblity of a spiking, and as long as the feet are below the fielders knee, then as Tall Ump says, I cant see any malicious contact.....

My only question is why is there a question of why the runner is out?......did he not slide into the glove of the Shortstop?......Did the shortstop have the ball?.....what was the call on the field.......missed tag?. fake tag?....I'd like to hear what the controversy was....Im assuming it was safe since the manager complained....

From what is posted, I say play on is the call.....safe or out based on what the umpire saw.......

Thanks for the replies. Your calls are consistent with the umpire's.

The controversy was that our runner slid into the glove, which had been placed on the ground in front of the bag. Our runner did not hae his foot on the ground, but didn't come in with spikes are knee level of anything close to it. Shortstop got a spike and or course, in pain, jerked his hand losing both his glove and the ball. Umpire called the runner safe. Other manager claimed that our runner came in with spikes high and should be called out.

With a good tag and proper placement of the shortstop this was an easy out for the other team. In my opinion, it was more an issue that they had allowed our first 4 hitters to reach base and score due to errors and the frustration level kind of boiled over.

It was also clear to me that if the shortstop was off to the side of the bag and properly applied a tag, our runner would have been out.

Thanks for your replies!