That's all well and good, except for the fact that the Big Ten Umpire Coordinator's bullshit postgame explanation never once mentioned the elevated hand. He said the rule requires the runner's ENTIRE BODY, including all extremities, to stay 100% inside the confines of the width of second base when sliding.
Of course he didn't bother to try to explain the physics of how a grown adult human male can keep every single molecule of their body no more than 18 inches wide while sliding after running full-speed.
For the record, the average male's shoulder width is 17-19 inches. So by definition, anyone who is at or above average is already guilty of interference on EVERY slide ever made in the history of baseball. Unless you think players should be able to effectively slide on their hip with their entire body completely perpendicular to the ground.
It's very similar to the "letter of the law" interpretation of the fair catch. If you read THAT rule, an invalid fair catch is ANY MOVEMENT OF THE ARMS by ANY PLAYER on the receiving team at any time during the play. Which basically means EVERY SINGLE SOLITARY PUNT RETURN IN THE HISTORY OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL could be called dead for illegal fair catch....unless of course everyone on the receiving team runs like they're doing an Irish river dance.
This is one of those cases when rule technicality meets human physical reality, and someone still tries to defend rule technicality.
(Edited to note that actually, college baseball bases are 15" wide, though 18" bases can be used if 15" bases are not available...making the requirement all the more laughable)
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