In Reply to: Re: Strongly Disagree On the Call posted by FanSince65 on May 25, 2026 at 03:43:58
I had no idea. Just for fun, I asked Google's AI:
Yes, attempting to deliberately knock the ball out of a baseman's glove is strictly illegal. In college baseball, this falls under offensive interference. If a runner intentionally slaps, grabs, or hits the fielder's glove or arm to dislodge the ball, the umpire will call the runner out, declare a dead ball, and return all other runners to their previous bases.
1. The Force-Play-Slide Rule (NCAA Rule 8-4)
On any force play, a runner must either slide directly into and on the ground before the base, or slide/run away from the fielder to avoid making contact. A runner cannot change their path specifically to initiate contact, elevate their legs to take out a fielder, or use their upper body and arms to grab the fielder or dislodge the ball. If a violation occurs, both the offending runner and the batter-runner are called out.
2. Collisions at Home Plate (NCAA Rule 8-7)
Runners are strictly prohibited from attempting to dislodge the ball from the catcher. Any contact above the waist is automatically judged as an illegal attempt to knock the ball loose.The Penalty: If the contact is deemed flagrant or malicious, the runner is immediately declared out and ejected from the game.
Those situations aren't exactly what was happening in our game, but the overall principles are the same.
Thanks much for edjumacating me. :-)