MLB's new home plate collision rule

[jerichoholicninja]

OFFICIAL BASEBALL RULE 7.13

Collisions at home plate

 

A runner attempting to score may not deviate from his direct pathway to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate). If, in the judgment of the umpire, a runner attempting to score initiates contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate) in such a manner, the umpire shall declare the runner out (even if the player covering home plate loses possession of the ball). In such circumstances, the umpire shall call the ball dead, and all other baserunners shall return to the last base touched at the time of the collision.

 

Rule 7.13 comment: The failure by the runner to make an effort to touch the plate, the runner's lowering of the shoulder, or the runner's pushing through with his hands, elbows or arms, would support a determination that the runner deviated from the pathway in order to initiate contact with the catcher in violation of Rule 7.13. If the runner slides into the plate in an appropriate manner, he shall not be adjudged to have violated Rule 7.13. A slide shall be deemed appropriate, in the case of a feet first slide, if the runner's buttocks and legs should hit the ground before contact with the catcher. In the case of a head first slide, a runner shall be deemed to have slid appropriately if his body should hit the ground before contact with the catcher.

 

Unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher cannot block the pathway of the runner as he is attempting to score. If, in the judgment of the umpire, the catcher without possession of the ball blocks the pathway of the runner, the umpire shall call or signal the runner safe. Notwithstanding the above, it shall not be considered a violation of this Rule 7.13 if the catcher blocks the pathway of the runner in order to field a throw, and the umpire determines that the catcher could not have fielded the ball without blocking the pathway of the runner and that contact with the runner was unavoidable.

 

The highlights:

 

• A runner may not run out of a direct line to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher, or any player, covering the plate. If he does, the umpire can call him out even if the player taking the throw loses possession of the ball.

 

• The catcher may not block the pathway of a runner attempting to score unless he has possession of the ball. If the catcher blocks the runner before he has the ball, the umpire may call the runner safe.

 

• All calls will be based on the umpire's judgment. The umpire will consider such factors as whether the runner made an effort to touch the plate and whether he lowered his shoulder or used his hands, elbows or arms when approaching the catcher.

 

• Runners are not required to slide, and catchers in possession of the ball are allowed to block the plate. However, runners who do slide and catchers who provide the runner with a lane will never be found in violation of the rule.

 

• The expanded instant replay rules, which also go into effect this season, will be available to review potential violations of Rule 7.13.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/mlb-institutes-new-rule-on-home-plate-collisions?ymd=20140224&content_id=68267610&vkey=news_mlb

 

As best I can tell all the new rule does is say the runner can't make contact with the catcher if the catcher does not have the ball or if the catcher is not blocking the plate. Otherwise, nothing changes. It seems like those two situations pretty much never happen. They then go and throw replay and umpire interpretation into it. If they want to to eliminate collisions at home, eliminate them, but this just seems to add way too much confusion.

[Baldkin]

• The catcher may not block the pathway of a runner attempting to score unless he has possession of the ball. If the catcher blocks the runner before he has the ball, the umpire may call the runner safe.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/mlb-institutes-new-rule-on-home-plate-collisions?ymd=20140224&content_id=68267610&vkey=news_mlb

 

As best I can tell all the new rule does is say the runner can't make contact with the catcher if the catcher does not have the ball or if the catcher is not blocking the plate. Otherwise, nothing changes. It seems like those two situations pretty much never happen. They then go and throw replay and umpire interpretation into it. If they want to to eliminate collisions at home, eliminate them, but this just seems to add way too much confusion.

 

 

That is the big part of the rule. If umps start calling guys safe when the catcher is standing in the baseline waiting for the ball to get there, then there will be actual progress.

[RightFieldCoder]

As best I can tell all the new rule does is say the runner can't make contact with the catcher if the catcher does not have the ball or if the catcher is not blocking the plate. Otherwise, nothing changes.

The runner cannot lower the shoulder, push with hands, elbows or arms, and must make an attempt to touch the plate. That is the biggest change from the runner's perspective. The runner has lost all desire to hit the catcher both from a baseball sense and a health sense. Home plate will be treated like any other base. Some incidental contact will occasionally occur, but both sides will try to avoid a collision.

 

Rule 7.13 comment: The failure by the runner to make an effort to touch the plate, the runner's lowering of the shoulder, or the runner's pushing through with his hands, elbows or arms, would support a determination that the runner deviated from the pathway in order to initiate contact with the catcher in violation of Rule 7.13.

[jerichoholicninja]

As best I can tell all the new rule does is say the runner can't make contact with the catcher if the catcher does not have the ball or if the catcher is not blocking the plate. Otherwise, nothing changes.

The runner cannot lower the shoulder, push with hands, elbows or arms, and must make an attempt to touch the plate. That is the biggest change from the runner's perspective. The runner has lost all desire to hit the catcher both from a baseball sense and a health sense. Home plate will be treated like any other base. Some incidental contact will occasionally occur, but both sides will try to avoid a collision.

 

Rule 7.13 comment: The failure by the runner to make an effort to touch the plate, the runner's lowering of the shoulder, or the runner's pushing through with his hands, elbows or arms, would support a determination that the runner deviated from the pathway in order to initiate contact with the catcher in violation of Rule 7.13.

 

I guess I do remember reading that. It just seems to me that MLB took what should have been a simple problem to fix and made it way too complicated.

[DuWayne Steurer]

 

I guess I do remember reading that. It just seems to me that MLB took what should have been a simple problem to fix and made it way too complicated.

 

I guess I don't see how it's complicated.

 

 

The catcher can't block the plate if he doesn't have the ball.

 

Runners can't bowl the catchers over like an NFL linebacker crushing WR's crossing the middle.

 

That seems pretty cut and dry.

[Patrick425]

The highlights:

 

• The catcher may not block the pathway of a runner attempting to score unless he has possession of the ball. If the catcher blocks the runner before he has the ball, the umpire may call the runner safe.

 

 

Hmmm....I always thought that this was one of the rules anyways?

 

 

Edit: Found these MLB rules from 2011: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2011/Official_Baseball_Rules.pdf

 

Rule 7.06: NOTE: The catcher, without the ball in his possession, has no right to block the pathway of the

runner attempting to score. The base line belongs to the runner and the catcher should be there only

when he is fielding a ball or when he already has the ball in his hand.

[logan82]

Why not just make the rule so the catcher can't block the plate. We know that players can be injured on slides. If I was a player I would rather run into the catcher than slide into him.

[jerichoholicninja]

Why not just make the rule so the catcher can't block the plate.

 

This is what I think they should have done, it would everything much easier to understand.

 

My rule would read:

 

The catcher is not allowed to block the plate with any part of his body other than his glove but only if he has possession of the ball. If he does not have possession, the runner is ruled safe. The runner is not allowed to initiate contact with the catcher unless the runner is in the process of attempting to slide in a direction towards the plate. Doing so will result in the runner being called out, play will stop and all baserunners will return to their previous bases. If, however, the runner makes contact with the catcher while not sliding as a result of the catcher attempting to catch a thrown ball, the runner will be ruled safe immediately whether he touches home plate or not and play will continue.

 

This is clear and easy to understand. It leaves no loopholes for either the offense or the defense to try and take advantage of and limits any of the collisions they are trying to prevent to being caused by bad throws.

[JohnBriggs12]

When I was 12 years old, our team lost a game when our runner (the tying run in the bottom of the final inning) was sat upon by the opposing catcher before the ball got to him. I had scored on the play and was standing right near home plate and witnessed the entire thing. The catcher was standing up in the baseline, and our player tried sliding up underneath him but came up just bit short. So the catcher just sat on him so he couldn't move, waited for the throw then tagged him, and the umpire called him out. I completely lost it arguing (sometimes good sportsmanship goes out the window) with the umpire that the catcher couldn't sit on a runner waiting for the ball. Heck I was a catcher myself that year so I had an idea of what could and couldn't be done. Finally my mom grabbed me because we had to drive to Milwaukee to pick up my older brother who had just gotten out of the Army. I steamed the entire way. The year was 1965 and funny, but that one has stuck with me ever since it was just so bizarre.

[TooLiveBrew]

The highlights:

 

• The catcher may not block the pathway of a runner attempting to score unless he has possession of the ball. If the catcher blocks the runner before he has the ball, the umpire may call the runner safe.

 

 

Hmmm....I always thought that this was one of the rules anyways?

 

 

Edit: Found these MLB rules from 2011: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2011/Official_Baseball_Rules.pdf

 

Rule 7.06: NOTE: The catcher, without the ball in his possession, has no right to block the pathway of the

runner attempting to score. The base line belongs to the runner and the catcher should be there only

when he is fielding a ball or when he already has the ball in his hand.

As I understand it, the "fielding a ball" part was always what got interpreted pretty liberally, allowing due facto blocking of the plate