If a player slides behind a fielder to avoid contact and touches home plate, but the fielder does not have the ball, what is ruled?

In this scenario, the player sliding behind the fielder is engaging in a defensive play where they seek to avoid contact to prevent a potential collision. According to NFHS rules, if a player slides to avoid contact and is not making an attempt to disrupt the fielder’s play, this act is typically ruled as a legal maneuver, provided that the fielder does not have the ball and is not positioned to make a legitimate play on the runner.

When the player touches home plate while the fielder does not have the ball and is not in a position to make a play, it indicates that the fielder is not actively engaged in the defensive action. Therefore, the situation may be categorized as obstruction or at least may suggest that a defensive player has interfered with the runner's ability to complete their play. This can apply particularly if the fielder's position causes the runner to alter their path to avoid contact.

In such a case, since the runner has successfully avoided contact and reached home plate legitimately, it's not deemed an out, and their run counts. The ruling of obstruction could be called in this context as it protects the rights of the runner against unnecessary contact or interference by a defensive player who is not making an active play. This reinforces the