MLB bans 'intentional home-plate collisions' for 2014 season

CLEARWATER, Fla., Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Major League Baseball announced on Monday that a proposed rule that bans “intentional home-plate collisions,” will go into effect for the 2014 season.

Rule 7.13 will be enacted on an experimental basis after it was agreed upon by MLB's players and owners.

“In determining whether a runner deviated from his pathway in order to initiate a collision, the umpire will consider whether the runner made an effort to touch the plate, and whether he lowered his shoulders or pushed through with his hands, elbows or arms when veering toward the catcher,” according to the rule. “Beginning immediately, clubs will be required to train their runners to slide and their catchers to provide the runner with a pathway to reach the plate at all levels in their organizations.”

It’s possible that the new rule will be permanently adopted as soon as 2015.

"I think it can be good for the catcher, but at the same time, it's hard," Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz said last week. "We're used to playing hard every time, and that's part of baseball. Being a catcher, you have to be tough. For me, if they kept it like always, that would be fine. But like I said, this means probably not as many guys are going to get hurt."

“As the runner, you know you can't hit him. Now you've put yourself in a vulnerable position to possibly get hurt," Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley said last week. "I can just visualize a play develop where there's no choice but to make contact. So we'll see what happens."

[MLB]