New Slide Rules Under Discussion

The baseline a a DIRECT path between the bases with a 3 foot wide area on each side allowed for the runner to avoid a tag. Graphic created by Fred Owens

A Picture May Help

Oh, okay a straight line with a three foot area on each side.  Got it.

"PENALTY: For penalties applying to a runner’s intentional interference with a thrown ball or his hindrance of a fielder’s attempt to make a play on a batted ball, see Rule 6.01(a) PENALTY FOR INTERFERENCE Comment (Rule 7.08(b) Comment). (4) He is tagged, when the ball. Rule 6.01(a) Penalty for Interference Comment (Rule 7.08(b) Comment): A runner who is adjudged to have hindered a fielder who is attempting to make a play on a batted ball is out whether it was intentional or not. If, however, the runner has contact with a legally occupied base when he hinders the fielder, he shall not be called out unless, in the umpire’s judgment, such hindrance, whether it occurs on fair or foul territory, is intentional. If the umpire declares the hindrance intentional, the following penalty shall apply: With less than two out, the umpire shall declare both the runner and batter out. With two out, the umpire shall declare the batter out. If, in a run-down between third base and home plate, the succeeding runner has advanced and is standing on third base when the runner in a run-down is called out for offensive interference, the umpire shall send the runner standing on third base back to second base. This same principle applies if there is a run-down between second and third base and succeeding runner has reached second (the reasoning is that no runner shall advance on an interference play and a runner is considered to occupy a base until he legally has reached the next succeeding base)."

The caveat about the runner being in contact with the base is clearly designed to prevent an interference call when the runner is sliding directly into the base and the middle infielder is still standing on it – not three feet or six feet away but on it.

Let me gather all I’ve learned together here.

• It’s interference if a player hinders a fielder whether or not it’s on purpose unless he’s physically touching the base at the time.
• The baseline is a straight line between the bases with a three foot margin on either side.
• The intent of rule Rule 5.09(a)(13) is to prevent a runner from leaving the baseline and intentionally crashing into the pivot man on a double play instead of trying to reach the base.\