MISCONCEPTIONS
AND RULES LORE
Embedded Files
RULE 5.09(a)(10) - A batter is out when… after a [dropped] third strike or after he hits a fair ball, he or first base is tagged before he touches first base.
RULE 5.09(b)(6) - Any runner is out when… he or the next base is tagged before he touches the next base, after he has been forced to advance by reason of the batter becoming a runner.
You've probably heard "the tie goes to the runner" numerous times. If the runner beats the throw or tag, the runner is safe. If the runner doesn't beat the throw or tag, the runner is out. If you're talking about a batter hitting a ground ball to the shortstop and then touching first base at the exact same time the first baseman receives the throw from the shortstop, the batter-runner is on the base; he has beaten the throw. There are no ties.
RULE 6.02(c)(1) Pitching Prohibitions
The pitcher shall not: While in the 18-foot circle surrounding the pitcher’s plate, touch the ball after touching his mouth or lips, or touch his mouth or lips while he is in contact with the pitcher’s plate. The pitcher must clearly wipe the fingers of his pitching hand dry before touching the ball or the pitcher’s plate.
PENALTY: For violation of this part of this rule the umpires shall immediately remove the ball from play and issue a warning to the pitcher. Any subsequent violation shall be called a ball.
If pitchers go to their mouth while touching the rubber, it is a violation, regardless if they promptly wipe their fingers afterward.
If pitchers go to their mouth while on the mound, they must wipe their fingers before touching the rubber or the ball.
Violation of this rule is not a balk with runners on base. RULE 6.02 lists many other prohibitions that result in a balk call, but rule (1) is excluded from the list.
TOUCH - To touch a player or umpire is to touch any part of his body, or any uniform or equipment worn by him (but not any jewelry (e.g., necklaces, bracelets, etc.) worn by a player).
RULE 5.05(b)(2) - The batter becomes a runner and is entitled to first base without liability to be put out (provided he advances to and touches first base) when... He is touched by a pitched ball which he is not attempting to hit unless (A) The ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, or (B) The batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball;
The hands are NOT part of the bat.
RULE 5.09(b)(11) - Any runner is out when... He fails to return at once to first base after overrunning or oversliding that base. If he attempts to run to second he is out when tagged. If, after overrunning or oversliding first base he starts toward the dugout, or toward his position, and fails to return to first base at once, he is out, on appeal, when he or the base is tagged;
Batter-runners are not automatically out if they end up in fair territory in their run-through of first base. See THE BASE PATH. The use of "overrunning" in OBR text refers to the common run-through of first base when the batter-runner is trying to beat out a grounder, for example.
A STRIKE is a legal pitch when so called by the umpire, which: (a) Is struck at by the batter and is missed;
A strike is a judgment by the umpire as to whether the batter attempted to strike the ball. "Breaking the wrists" or the barrel of the bat crossing the plate are simply guides when making the judgment of an attempt; these are not rules. There is no definition of SWING in the rulebook.
A BUNT is a batted ball not swung at, but intentionally met with the bat and tapped slowly within the infield.
A STRIKE is a legal pitch when so called by the umpire, which: (a) Is struck at by the batter and is missed;
A bunt attempt requires the batter to "stab" at the ball in the attempt to "intentionally meet" the ball. Simply holding the bat over the plate is not an attempt. Typically, a batter will "pull back" the bat when he decides the pitch is out of the strike zone to really drive the point across to the umpire that he is not offering at the pitch.
A FOUL TIP is a batted ball that goes sharp and direct from the bat to the catcher and is legally caught. It is not a foul tip unless caught, and any foul tip that is caught is a strike, and the ball is in play.
Rule 5.09(b)(5) Comment: Runners need not “tag up” on a foul tip. They may steal on a foul tip. If a so-called tip is not caught, it becomes an ordinary foul. Runners then return to their bases.
A foul tip is essentially a swinging strike. The ball remains live, and runners are allowed to steal.
RULE 5.09(a)(8) Comment: If a bat breaks and part of it is in fair territory and is hit by a batted ball or part of it hits a runner or fielder, play shall continue and no interference called. If a batted ball hits part of a broken bat in foul territory, it is a foul ball. If a whole bat is thrown into fair or foul territory and interferes with a defensive player attempting to make a play, interference shall be called, whether intentional or not.
RULE 5.02 - When the ball is put in play at the start of, or during a game, all fielders other than the catcher shall be on fair territory.
This topic only comes up with a first baseman holding a runner at first base. There is no penalty specified in the rulebook for a fielder not having both feet in fair territory. In fact, the umpire will allow only one foot to be in fair territory unless a manager complains. The umpire will then enforce the rule for both teams. Repeated violation of the rule can be punished by ejection.
RULE 5.06(c)(5) - The ball becomes dead and runners return to their bases, without liability to be put out, when… a foul ball is not caught, in which case runners return to their bases. The umpire-in-chief shall not put the ball in play unless all runners have retouched their bases.
No, the runner is not automatically out if he doesn't retouch his base after a foul ball. The purpose of this rule is to prohibit a base runner from taking an unfair lead on the first pitch after a dead ball. For example, with a runner on second, the batter hits a foul ball. The ball is dead and is not live again until the pitcher is on the rubber and the plate umpire signals "Play." A clever runner at second base, during the dead ball, will take his lead off second base all the way to where he is only one step away from third base. The umpire signals "Play," and the runner steps on third for the easiest stolen base you'll ever see. No -- this rule is basically a polite nudge to base runners to get back to their proper base/lead distance before the next pitch.
RULE 6.03(b) - Batting Out of Turn
Batting out of order is extremely rare in this day and age, even in lower levels of baseball. Attempts to explain the proper procedure would just be a copy-and-paste from the OBR text.
RULE 5.08(a): A run is not scored if the runner advances to home base during a play in which the third out is made (1) by the batter-runner before he touches first base; (2) by any runner being forced out...
Always keep this rule in mind. An alternative way to remember this is "No run shall score during a play in which the third out is a force-out." The craziest plays can happen, and you may forget the forced runners didn't reach their forced base anyway, so no runs can count. This will most likely pop up in a scenario where a batter hits a walk-off grand slam to win the game, the crowd is going wild, but he did not touch first base. The defense appeals, and if there are two outs, no runs count! If the runner originally on first never touched second, his forced base, and the defense appeals, no runs count!
RULE 6.02(a) Comment: (A): Straddling the pitcher’s rubber without the ball is to be interpreted as intent to deceive and ruled a balk.
THE HIDDEN BALL TRICK
A fun part of baseball.
1. In OBR, the pitcher cannot stand on or straddle the pitching rubber without the ball. If he does, it is a BALK. Some leagues have rules stating the pitcher cannot be on the dirt area of the mound itself without the ball. Pitchers involved in a Hidden Ball Trick typically stay off the mound to play it safe.
2. The Hidden Ball Trick cannot be performed when “time” has been called or when there is a dead ball. In all of these instances, the pitcher must be standing on the rubber with the ball before the umpire can signal “play” to allow play to resume.
3. As an umpire, if the ball is live, you should always know where it is.
This is undoubtedly a live ball.
Look at the pitcher -- just hanging out, off the mound.
The hidden-ball trick pulled off by the shortstop in a high-school playoff game. Second-base umpire signals the tag, signals that the pitcher is at least five feet away from the rubber (a specific high-school rule), and calls the out.
RULE 6.01(e) - When there is spectator interference with any thrown or batted ball, the ball shall be dead at the moment of interference and the umpire shall impose such penalties as in his opinion will nullify the act of interference.
APPROVED RULING: If spectator interference clearly prevents a fielder from catching a fly ball, the umpire shall declare the batter out.
RULE 6.01(e) Comment: No interference shall be allowed when a fielder reaches over a fence, railing, rope or into a stand to catch a ball. He does so at his own risk. However, should a spectator reach out on the playing field side of such fence, railing or rope, and plainly prevent the fielder from catching a ball, then the batsman should be called out for the spectator’s interference.
The fan did not reach over into the field of play. The fielder reached into the stands at his own risk.
If the fan had reached into the field of play and deflected the ball, umpires would have to decide whether or not the right fielder would have made the catch.
RULE 6.01(d) - In case of unintentional interference with play by any person herein authorized to be on the playing field (except members of the team at bat who are participating in the game, or a base coach, any of whom interfere with a fielder attempting to field a batted or thrown ball; or an umpire) the ball is alive and in play. If the interference is intentional, the ball shall be dead at the moment of the interference and the umpire shall impose such penalties as in his opinion will nullify the act of interference.
This ball boy intentionally interfered with a live ball, meaning he actively interfered with the play, not that he knew it was fair and just did it anyway. Umpires place runners where they think they would have ended up if the interference didn't occur.
This security guard was doing what he could to not interfere...but ended up interfering. This is unintentional interference, and the third baseman is not happy about it. This is simply a foul ball.
POINTS OF EMPHASIS
On thrown balls out of play, there is no such thing as "the base he's going to, plus one." The phrase starts you on the right path, but there is more to the rule. See BASE AWARDS.
Runners hurrying back to their base after they see a fly ball has been caught is NOT a force play. It is an APPEAL PLAY.
Home plate is in fair territory. A batted ball hitting the plate is not an automatic a foul ball.
The batter's box is NOT a safe haven. A batter can be called out for interference if the umpire judges that interference could or should have been avoided. Note, however, that the batter cannot be expected to just “disappear." EXAMPLE: A runner at second base stealing third. Upon receiving the pitch, the batter, with both of his feet legally in the batter's box, purposefully "squares up" to the catcher to make the catcher throw around him to third base. This batter has most likely committed interference. See BATTER'S INTERFERENCE.
A batter's entire foot must be out of the batter's box and not touching any of the chalk lines of the batter's box in order to be considered out of the batter's box. There is an interesting hypothetical scenario on the BATTER'S BOX page about a batter's foot stepping on home plate.
A runner is not automatically out if a base coach touches him. See COACH'S INTERFERENCE.
The bases are all in fair territory. Runners are not "protected" while standing on a base when hit by a batted ball, although there is an exception when the INFIELD FLY is declared. Also see OFFENSIVE INTERFERENCE.
Third-base coaches typically tell their runner "down in foul, back in fair." The "down in foul" part makes sense, since you do not want the runner to be hit by a batted ball in fair territory. "Back in fair," other than strategically having your runner retreat to third base in the catcher's direct throwing line to third base, does not matter.
A manager can elect to take the outcome of the play on CATCHER'S INTERFERENCE. But they cannot elect to take the outcome of the play on a DELAYED BALK.
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