Slide Rule at Home

Question
Thank you so much for that prompt and helpful response.   

I don't have a copy of the ASA rulebook, but that's my reading of the AFA rules that I found online, and also my reading of the excerpts of the ASA rules that I've been able to find online.  I guess I'll have to check with our local commissioner to see whether the slide rule is a local or league rule.  It becomes particularly important since we now head to the state tournament and we need to know what to tell our girls as far as whether they are required to slide in the tournament.

I guess the follow-up question could be, what rights do we have to protest the call.  My expectation is that since we did not state our intention to protest the call prior to the end of the game, we cannot now protest the call.  I also expect that if our protest were successful (i.e., there is no local rule, and the umpire just made a bad call) play would resume from the point at which it was interrupted. Is that right?

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Followup To
Question -
I am confident that our umpire made the right call, but I figure it can't hurt to ask an expert to make sure.

We had a base runner who reached home plate without being tagged.  There was no collision between her and the catcher, nor even contact.  The catcher was, however, nearby and attempted to make a play . . . she was just too late.  Umpire originally allowed the run to score, but when opposing coach protested our runner was called out for failing to slide.

What is the rule regarding sliding?  If it matters, this league is 10 and under.
Answer -
Hi,

Under ASA rules there is no rule that a runner must slide at any age group or division.  I cannot speak for ASA but IMHO and this not not legal advice just common sense, part of the fact is there is no liability if there is no rule.  

Yes Mr. Lawyer the rules say that on a tag play a runner must slide.  My 10 yr old daughter had to slide into 2nd base and broke her leg in 3 places, one of them compound.  So far we have $20,000 in medical fees, more to come and you should see the scars.

If a runner has a choice to slide or not in my non-legal opinion it becomes part of the inherent danger of the game, similar in context to getting hit with a pitched or batted ball.  But to make her slide requires her to do something that she may not want to do.

If your player was called out because she did not slide and it's a correct call it is because you have a local or league rule that states such.  

We already have rules against collisions and obstruction and I believe they are sufficent.

Mark


Answer
Good morning,
You are correct in no protest can be made now.  It must be made at the time of the ruling.  If the protest made at the time of the ruling is upheld the game resumes at that point.

Now major (national, state, national qualifiers, district)tournament play is a seperate entity.  Tournaments are almost always played under strict rules of the sponsoring entity.  In ASA play that means our rules not any local or league rules.  So I can tell you for a fact if it's an ASA tournie you do not have to slide.  In most ASA play we also have a umpire-in-chief and a tournament director assigned to the tournament.  All protests are settled by them (if necessary) before another pitch is thrown.

As you head to tournament play ask the uic or td your questions before play begins.

This might also help if it's ASA play.  We have a relativelty new rule which is why I mentioned obstruction in the 1st answer.  A defensive player must have the ball before they can block the base or the plate.  NOT "about to receive the ball"  It used to be block the base, get the ball.  Now it's have the ball, block the base.  If they do not have the ball and are blocking the base it is now obstruction.

Let me know if you need anything more.

Mark