Crash at plate

Question
Please clear up I call that I made that may have been bad. It was a bang bang play at home the runner did not slide. The catcher had the ball and made the tag on the body and would have been out. After crossing the plate the ball falls out of the catchers glove/hands. Under Rule 8-7-Q if I am reading it right I should have called the runner out since he did not slide, even though the ball came out.  - Hey I am not perfect! I really love umping and try to take away 3-5 cases every night I can review in the books afterward. Thanks.

Answer
Hi Eric,

I wish you continued success in umpiring.

In this case if the catcher had control of the ball and the runner remained upright and crashed into the catcher we have a dead ball, the runner is out and if flagrant, ejected.

Now if the catcher merely tagged the runner as the runner was going by, and the runner did not crash into the catcher and the ball came out, the runner would be safe.

They do not have to slide but they cannot crash into a defensive player with the ball.  They can attempt to avoid the tag, being upright within a 3' lane.

You say it was a bang-bang play and this may or may not apply...you're the one who saw the play, another thing to remember is if the ball, runner and defensive player arrive at the same time and place and contact is made, the umpire should not invoke the crash rule or obstruction, we simply have a "wreck"



Mark