As a former college baseball player myself, I’d like you to show me a rule book outside of the minors/majors where you aren’t required to slide. Ontop of that why would there be a FOUL called “OVER-THE-BACK” but all of the sudden it’s not a foul??? You are either fake news or just confusing
Lol, how bout I show you a whole bunch of rulebooks? As in any state that uses the NFHS baseball rulebook? (Lemme help ya, it’s almost all of them).
Or the NCAA rule book? But you already know that because you were a “college baseball player yourself,” right?
In no rule book are you required to slide. Ever. In no rule book outside of little league or town kids leagues are you ever automatically out for not sliding. The NFHS and NCAA rule books both explicitly state that you are not required to slide, but that if you make contact with or interfere with a fielder you are called out. The NCAA rule book does state that if you
choose to slide during a force ply, and you do not slide in a direct line between the two bases you are out.
But at no time,—whatsoever—are you required to slide, and nowhere in any rule books (in amateur high school or adult baseball) is there an “automatic out” for not sliding. The only out at a base is if you are called out on a tag, force, or interference. Period.
What’s hilarious about this, is that two years ago at the Iowa state baseball officiating clinic we spent over an hour on this topic clarifying it. The reason it had to be clarified is because of a huge rash of douche rocket parents and coaches who don’t know the rulebook from their asses (I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that you fit in this category) complaining about little Jimmy not sliding into 2nd and not getting called out. Looks like we found the guy at HN who doesn’t know the rules either.
As far as your resume credentials of being a “former college baseball player myself,” I can tell you from common experience that it doesn’t mean shit. I also played college ball and that’s as worthless as hen shit on a pump handle, because I know that 0% of college players have ever read the rule books. All we were concerned with was how many chicks were walking by when we were up for BP.
I didn’t know dick about baseball compared to what I thought I did until I studied the rules, and you sure don’t either.