In baseball, sliding refers to a runner’s attempt to reach a base safely by sliding along the ground. The official rulebook of Major League Baseball, or MLB, provides specific rules regarding sliding in competition. These rules provide a standard for sliding regulations in competitive baseball.
Sliding Into First Base and Home Plate
Any runner who slides into first base, touches the base and then slides past it cannot be tagged out by a fielder as long as he returns immediately to the base. If the runner stands several feet away from the base without attempting to return to it, however, a fielder can tag him out with the ball. If the runner continues toward second base instead of returning to first, a fielder can throw him out by tagging him with the ball or throwing the ball to second base. Runners who slide into home plate and then beyond it cannot be thrown out.
Oversliding Second and Third Bases
The term “oversliding” refers to a runner who slides beyond a base or home plate. If a runner overslides second or third base, he remains in danger of being tagged out by a fielder until he returns to the base. As long as the runner touches the base while sliding past it, he removes the force play, and a fielder can no longer throw him out by touching the base while in possession of the ball. In baseball, a force play occurs when a runner on base is forced to advance to the next base because of another runner advancing toward his base. If the runner overslides a base without touching it, the force play remains, and a fielder can throw the runner out by tagging him with the ball or by touching the base while in possession of the ball.
Scorekeeping
A batter will only earn credit in the official score for the number of bases he safely holds. If a batter tries to turn a double into a triple, for example, by sliding into third base, he will only get credit for a triple if he can safely hold third base. If a fielder tags him out after he overslides the base, the official scorer will credit him for a double rather than a triple.
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