NTBA Umpire Bulletins

Avoiding Collisions at Home Plate

Myth: If there is a play at home plate, and the runner does not slide, he is out.

There is no Baseball Ontario or NTBA rule that clearly and unambiguously states that the runner is out if he/she doesn't slide.

The goal of the NTBA is to avoid injury. Serious injury can be caused by collisions. However, injury could also be caused by sliding on poor surfaces (some of our fields are rocky) or incorrect sliding technique by unskilled (and most likely, untaught) players.

It is clear from the rules that coaches and assistant coaches bear a responsibility to ensure that collisions do not take place. If there is a play at home plate, sliding should be encouraged. However, at the coaches' discretion, other techniques to avoid collisions can also be encouraged. Slowing to a stop is an option. Going around the catcher is an option. Deliberately allowing oneself to be put out to avoid a collision is an option. If these latter (non-sliding) options seem non-competitive and un-baseball-like, then we should all remember that we are talking about house league, and in general, many kids who are not particularly skilled. Coaches must teach the kids that collisions are unacceptable, and must provide alternatives ... even if it means losing the game.

Here are some scenarios to provide guidance on how umps should call the play, the goal being to avoid collisions that can cause injury:

Scenario #1:
Catcher has the ball at home plate. It's not a force play. The runner doesn't slide and crashes into the catcher, dislodging the ball, and successfully touching the plate. The runner is out. See note below on ejection.

Scenario #2:
Catcher has the ball at home plate. It's a force play. The runner doesn't slide and crashes into the catcher, dislodging the ball, and successfully touching the plate. The catcher never touched home plate. The runner is out. See note below on ejection.

Scenario #3:
Catcher is standing 6 feet in front of home plate on the third baseline. He doesn't have the ball. The runner needs to break his base path to get around the catcher. At home the pitcher tags the runner. The runner may be called safe at the ump's discretion due to the catcher's obstruction. The catcher should be warned to get off the baseline if he's not in the play.

Scenario #4:
Catcher is standing 6 feet in front of home plate on the third baseline. He has the ball (i.e. he's caught it or in the midst of fielding it). The runner crashes into the catcher, dislodging the ball, making it to home plate without being tagged. The runner is out. See note below on ejection.

Scenario #5:
Catcher is standing 6 feet in front of home plate on the third baseline. He doesn't have the ball. The runner crashes into the catcher, eventually moving by him and touching home plate. The run scores. There is no out. The catcher should be warned to get off the baseline if he's not in the play. See note below on ejection.

Scenario #6:
Catcher has the ball at home plate. It's not a force play. The runner twists around the catcher and manages to touch the plate without being tagged. The runner did not slide. The runner deliberately adjusted his/her motion to avoid contact. No contact (or very little) was made. The runner is safe, even though he/she did not slide.

Scenario #7:
Catcher has the ball at home plate. It's not a force play. The runner slows down, almost to a full stop, sticks out his/her leg, stretches and manages to touch the plate without being tagged. The runner did not slide. The runner deliberately adjusted his/her motion to avoid contact. No contact (or very little) was made. The runner is safe, even though he/she did not slide.

Scenarios 6 and 7 say that “deking” out the catcher is acceptable ... as long as a collision is avoided! However the ump must use discretion in deciding if the runner broke his/her baseline. The runner cannot run all over the field to avoid the tag. Rule of thumb: The baseline has not been broken if the runner can reach out with an arm or a leg and touch the plate.

A note about ejection:
The ump can eject any player who he views has maliciously collided with another player. If the ump feels that the collision could have been avoided, the ump can eject the player from the game. These calls are completely at the umps discretion. A coach cannot argue against it since it a judgement call.

Also be aware that the defensive player has the right of way if a play is being made. The runner has an obligation to avoid a collision on the base paths.

Appendix-What do the rulebooks state?

NTBA Girl's softball rulebook:
No rule specified

NTBA ROOKIE rulebook:
The following situations are considered "Interference", and the ump shall call the runner safe or out as appropriate:
"A catcher may not intentionally block Home Plate without the ball. If this occurs the Umpire will call the runner safe."
"No player, including the catcher, shall block a base path unless in the process of making a play."
"A runner must get out of the Home Plate Area as soon as he/she has crossed home plate."

NTBA MOSQUITO, PEEWEE, BANTAM, MIDGET rulebook:
"A catcher may not intentionally block home plate. If the catcher does this, the umpire will automatically call the runner safe. A base runner may not collide with a catcher or baseman with intent to knock the ball loose. If in the opinion of the umpire this occurs, the runner will be called out whether or not the base or plate was blocked. Base runners are encouraged to slide to avoid injury and collisions."

OBA Contact Rule:
P2-13 CONTACT RULE
Runners are instructed to slide or attempt to avoid making contact with a fielder. A player who maliciously runs into another player is to be declared out (unless he/she has scored prior to committing the infraction) and is to be automatically ejected (whether or not declared out).
Contact shall be considered malicious if:
a) the contact is the result of intentional excessive force, and/or
b) there is an intent to injure.
Malicious contact is to be penalized whether committed by an offensive or defensive player.
The umpire shall determine whether contact was avoidable or unavoidable - whether the runner was trying to reach the base/plate or attempting to dislodge the ball from the fielder. If the runner a) could have avoided the fielder and reached the base or b) attempted to dislodge the ball, the runner is out even if the fielder loses possession of the ball. The ball is dead and all other runners shall return to the last base legally occupied by them at the time of the contact.
If the fielder blocks the base path, the runner may make contact, slide into or collide with the fielder as long as the runner is making a legitimate attempt to reach the base/plate. If the collision is flagrant, the runner is called out and ejected. The ball is declared dead. If the defensive player blocked the base path clearly without possession of the ball, obstruction shall be called. The runner is safe and a delayed dead ball is called. If the runner collides flagrantly, he/she shall be declared safe due to obstruction but shall be ejected. The ball is dead.

Additional clarifications on the OBA website:
No player shall maliciously run into another player. Contact shall be considered malicious if it involves:
-Intentional excessive force
-Intent to injure
-Deliberate attempt by a runner to dislodge the ball
-A runner making no legitimate effort to reach the base
-A runner who could have reasonably slid or otherwise avoided contact and still reached the base

Penalty: Player is ejected from the game and declared out.

-Malicious contact is to be penalized whether committed by an offensive or defensive player. In the case of a defensive player being ejected for malicious contact, the runner will be called safe or out according to the result of the play.
-The ball is dead and all other runners shall return to their last legally occupied base at the time of the contact.
-A runner guilty of malicious contact is out even if the fielder loses possession of the ball.
-A runner guilty of malicious contact after scoring a run shall not be declared out, but is still ejected.
-This rule applies at home plate and all other bases.
-If a fielder blocks the base path while in the act of making a play, the runner may make contact, slide into, or collide with the fielder as long as the contact by the runner is not "malicious" as defined above. The rule does not prohibit contact. It simply requires player to make a reasonable attempt to avoid contact, and to ensure that any incidental contact is not malicious in nature.
-If contact occurs where a defensive player blocked the base path clearly without possession of the ball, obstruction shall be called according to the provisions of Rule 7.06(b). If this obstructed runner uses this opportunity to collide maliciously with the fielder, he would be declared safe due to the obstruction, but still ejected from the game.