the runner. Once he catches it, the runner might try to go around the catcher, or he might simply bowl the catcher over, if he thinks he can dislodge the ball by such contact; and if the catcher does not have the ball, the runner may still bowl the catcher over, which is considered fair because by rule a fielder without a ball cannot impede a runner. Violent contact between players was once even greater in baseball, as before the Knickerbocker Rules it was permitted in some versions of the game to literally "throw out" a runner by hitting him (or "soaking"/"plugging" him) with a thrown ball (in lieu of hitting a base or stake that would equate to cricket's wickets). This rule still exists in some versions of the baseball variant called kickball, which is played with a soccer ball and thus is much less injurious. Except when played batting in a hands-down position, kickball also calls for literal "bowling" of the ball, underhand, as with the old rules of both cricket and baseball. "All 'round hands down" kickball leagues exist, but in most of these, the ball is pitched with the face or shoulders. By contrast, in cricket, the stumps are the target for "tagging" rather than the runner. No contact with the runners is either necessary or allowed. Contact between opposing sides is rare, and is usually not deliberate. Rules around "fake fielding": In baseball, the pitcher can be penalized with a balk for not delivering the ball, which in some instances involves not throwing to a baseman when the pitcher made a motion to do so. In cricket, a fielder can be punished for fake fielding. Fielders choosing which players they want to try to get out: In baseball, runners can often advance on a fielder's choice, which is when the fielder prioritizes putting out other runners. In cricket, fielders have a choice in who to get out when both batsmen are out of their grounds; when this occurs, they can hit either wicket with the ball, with the batsman who is nearest to the end of the pitch which that wicket is in being runout. How fielders behave near the field boundary, and how they deal with deliveries that get past the fielder behind the batter: In cricket, because the field boundary is treated the same as the area outside of the field, fielders must