Baseball · WBSC / Rule 10
Slides, contact and collisions
WBSC · 2025–2026In short
Safe attempts to reach a base and the consequences of dangerous contact.
Force-play slides
A runner must make a legal slide on force-play attempts rather than target the defender. The rule protects fielders completing a double play and allows additional outs for interference. A runner may avoid contact instead of sliding, provided the action does not interfere. Contact alone is not the only test; the direction and purpose matter.
Collisions
Officials judge whether a collision was avoidable and whether the runner genuinely tried to reach the base or dislodge the ball. An attempt to knock the ball loose can result in an out even if it succeeds; malicious contact can also cause ejection. The youngest event category separately prohibits headfirst slides into home.
Independent explanations and translations, not official federation publications. Based on the supplied WBSC Official Rules of Baseball 2025–2026, including its event-specific appendices. References use physical PDF pages. Explanations are condensed; the supplied edition and its stated competition conditions determine scope.
Sources & approach ↗
Sources & approach ↗