Sliding rule

by Myron
(Virginia)

Myron asked: Little league juniors play with no loc rule to the contrary.

Bases loaded, no out, drive to left center wall on a rope with a weak armed left fielder.

Batter rounds third as bobbled ball is being thrown to cutoff, so he turns for home and crosses the plate ahead of the throw standing.

Called out by home plate ump for not sliding.

Ridiculous or a rule?


Myron, thank you for your question.

The rule which covers this situation is 7.08...Any runner is out when:

a) (3) the runner does not slide or attempt to get around a fielder who has the ball and is waiting to make the tag.

In your situation, the runner does not have to slide, unless the catcher has the ball and is waiting to make the tag. He should have been safe.

In the Little League system, local leagues have the leeway to alter some rules.

There may be a local league rule that requires a runner to slide, even though the ball is not there.

That would be the only circumstance I could think of that would cause the umpire to call him out.

Yours in baseball,

Rick