Base runners not sliding.

[ADNIL812]

Runner coming to home and catcher has the ball and it is not a force play. The runner levels the catcher and the catcher holds on to the ball. The runner is called out and catcher is throw back and the back of head hits the ground. She goes to hospital with a concussion.
Question: Does not base runners in ASA have to slide or try to avoid contact. It looked like this girl leveled this catcher on purpose?
This happened this weekend at the ASA Challenge tournament in Dallas.

[Comp]

If a defender is in posession of the ball and waiting to make a tag, the runner must slide or avoid contact. Based on your description of the play, the runner should have been ejected.

[jonriv]

A similar scenario at a 14u game several years ago damaged discs in my DD's back that she is still suffering from in college (BTW the ump did not eject the rrunner in this situation)

[ADNIL812]

The runner was not ejected but one of our coaches was ejected. This was a 14U game.
The girl at the hospital said she doesn't know if she will catch again. It's a shame she is a very good catcher. She is only 5'2" and the girl that came in on her was at least 6' and out weight her by 50lbs.

[jonriv]

The runner was not ejected but one of our coaches was ejected. This was a 14U game.
The girl at the hospital said she doesn't know if she will catch again. It's a shame she is a very good catcher. She is only 5'2" and the girl that came in on her was at least 6' and out weight her by 50lbs.

I think many umps are unaware of the rule and many coaches encourage it(thinking back to theiryouth baseball careers) The pain from her back over the years basically neded her catching career(albeit one start as catcher in college)

[ontheblack]

If a defender is in posession of the ball and waiting to make a tag, the runner must slide or avoid contact. Based on your description of the play, the runner should have been ejected.

Rule citation please.

Cant, because there is no ASA rule that requires the runner (at any age group) to slide.

Some rec leagues add a rule in the name of safety that requires this, but its a mistake in my opinion since more are hurt sliding than otherwise.

I had this discussion with rec umps a few times this year with my youngest's 10u team.

[ontheblack]

The only ASA rule requirement of a runner as it pertains to the runner (for any base) is 8-7-Q:
"THE RUNNER IS OUT: When a defensive player has the ball and the runner remains upright and crashes into the defensive player. EFFECT: The ball is dead. The runner is out. All runners must return to the last base touched. If the act is determined to be flagrant, the offender shall be ejected."

The confusion for most should be cleared up for 8-7-Q in Rule Supplement 13, CRASHING INTO A FIELDER WITH THE BALL. (INTERFERENCE):
"To prevent the out ruling, the runner may slide, jump over the defender holding the ball, go around the defender or return to the previous base touched. If the act is determined to be flagrant, the offender is ejected. A runner may slide into the fielder."

[Bretman]

If a defender is in posession of the ball and waiting to make a tag, the runner must slide or avoid contact. Based on your description of the play, the runner should have been ejected.

Rule citation please.

Comp has (correctly) paraphrased the rule- a runner must slide OR avoid contact in this situation. He isn't saying that a runner MUST slide...ever. Sliding is just one of the many options that satisfies the requirement to avoid contact.

[Comp]

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.

[ontheblack]

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.

At the lower ages they get the call wrong one way, thinking the rule is must slide, while at the older ages I see the call missed per the OP, where no call is made for failing to avoid contact with the player in possession of the ball.