play at home plate

Question
QUESTION: At a play at home plate, the throw was up the line, and the runer made contact with the catcher, the umpire called the runer out, saying contact had to be avoided. is this correct?

ANSWER:  
Hi Tim,

ASA answer.  Your play is one of the most difficult for umpires.  Unfortunately, this is truly a HTBT question.  Four pieces of info were missing from the question: whether the runner was obstructed or not (let's assume she was), whether there was a tag or not, whether the catcher had the ball or not, and what sort of contact occurred (let's assume garden-variety, neither-player-trying-to-deck-the-other-variety).  Let's put together some scenarios to try to encompass all of the possibilities.  

In scenario 1, the catcher goes up the line for the ball and before the ball is caught the runner contacts the catcher.  This is obstruction and a DDB.  The runner does not have to avoid contact here, within reason.  If there is a tag the runner is not out, dead ball is called, and the umpire awards the runner the base she would have reached w/o the obstruction, probably home in this instance.  If there is no tag the runner is safe and the ball remains delayed dead until the play ends.  

In scenario 2, the catcher goes up the line for the ball and after the ball is caught the runner contacts the catcher.  If there is a tag the runner is out.  If there is no tag the runner is safe.  Since the catcher caught the ball before the runner arrived, the runner must NOT remain on her feet and crash into the catcher.  She would be out, even with no tag, and the ball would be dead.  If the crash is flagrant she is ejected, too.  The runner in this instance must jump over the catcher, go around her, retreat, or slide.

In scenario 3, the catcher, the runner, and the ball all arrive at exactly the same time and the runner contacts the catcher.  This is incidental contact, also called a "wreck" or "train wreck."  An ordinary safe or out call results.

Scott Kelly

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the answer. Does it matter how far up the line the catcher was? In this case, I would say it was about 5 feet or so. The ball was never caught, and the contact was very minimal. The umpire said that contact has to be avoided at all cost, no matter where the contact takes place. I responded that she would then be out of the baseline, and the umpire said that would not matter, as the runner was trying to avoid contact. As I stated, the contact was very minimal. One of their coaches also stated that my runner has to slide, but if she did slide she never would have reached home plate. Again, does it matter how far up the line the catcher was? Thanks again for your help with this.

Answer
You're very welcome for the first answer.  The info you provided in your followup e-mail brings complete clarity to your case play.  No, it does NOT matter how far up the line the catcher was.  She has the right to roam all 60' of the baseline while attempting to catch a thrown ball.  However, without the ball, she needs to stay out of the way of the runner!  There is NO obligation, within reason, on the part of the runner to avoid contact, including running out of the baseline left or right, hurdling the catcher, rolling, sliding, or retreating.  In your play, if the runner was obstructed even one bit as the result of the minimal contact, since the catcher didn't have the ball, a DDB obstruction call on the catcher should have been made.  

Don't forget, too, as a side note, contact is NOT required to warrant an obstruction call, nor an interference call.

The obsolete battle cry "she needs to slide" is one umpires often hear, but it is simply not true.  A slide is never obligatory.  Sliding is just one of several ways in which a runner can avoid contact with a fielder who is about to tag her with a held ball.