As players get older, base runners are going to be more aggressive when they try to break up double plays. In professional baseball, there will be no mercy shown towards that second baseman or shortstop. If you are a middle infielder at the higher levels, you can be sure runners are going to come after you.
At the high school level and below, runners have more strict guidelines as to how they are allowed to slide. Most leagues require the runners to slide directly into the bag. Even so, middle infielders, especially second basemen, should not get too comfortable with those rules and neglect their safety. The tip below is something all second basemen should do regardless of level to improve their safety.