Comp wrote:Sorry, replace must with may. A runner is NEVER required to slide, but they may slide to avoid being called out for crashing into a fielder in posession of the ball. The point I was making is the rules require the runner to avoid contact in this situation, and sliding is considered a legal way to avoid being called for crashing even if there is contact.
There is no requirement that the runner avoid contact in this situation. She must simply avoid REMAINING ON HER FEET AND CRASHING into the fielder.
Let's not go overboard and say that contact isn't permitted.
Creating contact is substantially different than crashing.