Slide or avoid vs. out of base path

[Guest MA Ump]

Babe Ruth, 13 year olds, during ground rules we covered runners having to slide OR avoid contact   Runner on second no outs.  Batter hits line drive to the outfield, runner on second has a good jump and goes for home.  The throw from the relay causes the catcher to come up the line and is blocking the plate, but in my opinion in the act of making the catch.  The Runner, too far from the plate attempts to go around the catcher to hit the plate and avoids the tag.  The runners' momentum brings him past the plate and he stretches his foot out to touch home, again avoiding the 2nd diving tag attempt of the catcher.  No tag was made, I rule safe.  Defensive coach asks if the runner should be out for leaving the baseline.  My response, was that he was avoiding contact, and I did not feel he was out of the base line (I always thought they had 3 feet to work with).  He wants to argue more, so I ask field ump to come for a conference and we both agree that the runner should be safe.  Am I correct with my "3 foot rule", I can't seem to find a specific measurement in the Babe Ruth rule book?

[Rich Ives]

Babe Ruth, 13 year olds, during ground rules we covered runners having to slide OR avoid contact   Runner on second no outs.  Batter hits line drive to the outfield, runner on second has a good jump and goes for home.  The throw from the relay causes the catcher to come up the line and is blocking the plate, but in my opinion in the act of making the catch.  The Runner, too far from the plate attempts to go around the catcher to hit the plate and avoids the tag.  The runners' momentum brings him past the plate and he stretches his foot out to touch home, again avoiding the 2nd diving tag attempt of the catcher.  No tag was made, I rule safe.  Defensive coach asks if the runner should be out for leaving the baseline.  My response, was that he was avoiding contact, and I did not feel he was out of the base line (I always thought they had 3 feet to work with).  He wants to argue more, so I ask field ump to come for a conference and we both agree that the runner should be safe.  Am I correct with my "3 foot rule", I can't seem to find a specific measurement in the Babe Ruth rule book?

​If the BR rule book is numbered she same as the OBR it's in 7.08(a )(1 )

 

Make sure you understand that

1) It only comes into effect when there is an actual tag attempt.

2) There is a difference between "the baseline" and the runners basepath.

[ZebraStripes]

three foot is the general guideline when a tag attempt is being made

[ShotKaller]

In the BR 2015 Rule book

7.06 (b) NOTE:The catcher, without the ball in his possession, has no right to block the pathway of the runner attempting to score. The baseline belongs to the runner and the catcher should be there only when fielding a ball or when he already has the ball in his hand. 

It appears you had good old fashioned obstruction. 

 

[maven]

Two points here:

1. OBR now prohibits F2 from blocking the plate without the ball. ("Unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher cannot block the pathway of the runner as he is attempting to score." 6.01(i)(2)/7.13(2) and yes, we now have "baseline, base path, and pathway"). If Babe Ruth has this provision, then it sounds as if F2 was guilty of OBS in the OP: being in the act of fielding the throw does not excuse OBS at the plate any longer in those codes governed by recent OBR. If we get this OBS, we don't have to worry about a runner being out of the baseline: for type A, the ball is dead, and the scoring runner is awarded HP.
2. As others mention, the 3 foot restriction begins with a tag attempt. A runner who is avoiding a fielder without the ball can never violate this provision. And if he's already on a path around a fielder who gets the ball, then he's deviating in order to avoid a tag: he already did that before the restriction kicked in.

[Replacematt]

Two points here:

1. OBR now prohibits F2 from blocking the plate without the ball.

​No, it doesn't. 6.01(i)(2) allows blocking during a "legitimate attempt to field the throw."

Edited June 29, 2015 by Matt

[maven]

​No, it doesn't. 6.01(i)(2) allows blocking during a "legitimate attempt to field the throw."

That's not how I would teach it. The rule permits F2 to go into the runner's path in order to field the throw, with the blocking incidental to the fielding.

The rule used to allow F2 to actively block the runner during the throw, whether or not fielding the throw required him to go into the runner's path. The rule change prohibits such blocking.

As I said.

[CricketChapman]

Hmm...There is no slide or avoid rule in Cal Ripken or Babe Ruth baseball.   75% of the games I call are CR/BR; I just reviewed my 2015 CR/BR rulebook and can confirm there is no slide or avoid rule in the book.

As for the basepath stuff, you nailed it.  Don't conference on this play - stick with your gut.

[JaxRolo]

That's not how I would teach it. The rule permits F2 to go into the runner's path in order to field the throw, with the blocking incidental to the fielding.

The rule used to allow F2 to actively block the runner during the throw, whether or not fielding the throw required him to go into the runner's path. The rule change prohibits such blocking.

As I said.

^^^this

[Replacematt]

That's not how I would teach it. The rule permits F2 to go into the runner's path in order to field the throw, with the blocking incidental to the fielding.

The rule used to allow F2 to actively block the runner during the throw, whether or not fielding the throw required him to go into the runner's path. The rule change prohibits such blocking.

As I said.

​That's really not what you said, though. Someone reading your original statement would take it that any time the catcher is in the way without the ball, it's obstruction.

[maven]

​That's really not what you said, though. Someone reading your original statement would take it that any time the catcher is in the way without the ball, it's obstruction.

It's what I meant by what I said. Thanks for affording me the opportunity to clarify.