The new home plate collision rule is officially announced

The new home plate collision rule is officially announced

Actually, there is nothing new here, but rather a stated intention to apply the existing rules. Per the previous rules, catchers have never been allowed to block the plate unless they are in possession of the ball, but that rule was disregarded in common practice, much like the infamous pine tar rule. Umpires have enforced the existing interference rules at second and third bases, but not at home, even though the rule book has never made any kind of exception for home plate. The new rule basically just says that the league really, really means it this time, and will call runners' and fielders' interference when runners are trying to score, just as if they were approaching any other base.

MLB made the right move. The previous situation was a time bomb of indeterminate fuse length, because the common practice was in direct contradiction to what the rule books clearly state. It was only a matter of time until some ump decided (perfectly within his rights and obligations) to apply the rules in a critical situation, in defiance of decades of precedent, thus precipitating Pine Tar II.