10U Play at Home

Question
Runners on second and third with one out.  Ball was batted into play and the runners each begin to advance.  The SS throws directly to home(catcher) and the 3B runner does not slide to mitigate contact with the catcher. The catcher moves to avoid a collision and misses the throw.  Is the base runner out?  Then the 2B runner rounds third and heads home, but the 1st runner remains in the batter box (she is moving the bat) and when the second runner crosses home, there are now two runners in the batter's box.  Do both runs count?  

Answer
Hi Donna,

The catcher cannot block the plate or the basepath with out the ball in their control.  The runner does not have to slide.  They have a right to a direct line to the base as long as the defensive player does not have the ball.  It is the catcher here who has a duty, not the runner.

"The catcher moves to avoid a collision and misses the throw."  If she did not have the ball, she had to move out of the way of the runner or she would be guilty of obstruction.  It is no longer, block the base, get the ball.  The rule is now, have the ball and you can block the base.

AS long as the runner who already scored did not interfere with a play at the plate, there is no call.  Both runs count.

Mark