10U Batter Stepped on Home Plate

Alex Reisner on May 17, 2010, 01:31 pm

I've never heard of this rule, so I'm not sure of the correct way to score the play, but I would credit a putout to the catcher, being the closest fielder when the out was recorded. Catchers get the putout when a batter touches his own batted ball (see MLB Official Rules section 10.09) so this seems like a decent guess, but it's just a guess. You'd probably have to see the 10U official rules for the authoritative answer.

alexeth on May 26, 2010, 01:21 pm

I would think 6.06(a) applies:

A batter is out for illegal action when - hitting the ball with one or both feet on the ground entirely outside the batter's box.

Home plate being outside the box, so batter had one foot on the ground entirely outside the box, so out for illegal action.

If so, then 10.09(b)2 seems to apply

The official scorer shall credit an automatic putout to the catcher when a: batter is called out for an illegally batted ball;

So.... I guess a "2" and a note for an illegal action.

on June 17, 2010, 05:12 pm

I have not checked the discussions for a while, but I thought I would throw in my penny's worth.

It is an illegally batted ball. The putout for a runner or batter/runner being called out for an infraction goes to the nearest position...in the case of an illegally batted ball it is always the catcher (because the C is required to have both feet in the catcher's box at the time of the pitch while everyone else must have at least 1 foot in fair territory).

Finally, I wanted to distinguish the 2 types of illegally batted balls in this thread. One is the foot and home plate, the other is when a foot is "entirely" outside the box. Both instances are only if there is contact with the ball and the bat (not for a swing and miss). The batter is out if the foot is entirely out of the box OR if any part of the foot touches the plate (even if the foot is not entirely out of the box).

Sorry...this is what happens when you mix a scorer with an umpire.

mebert on June 17, 2010, 06:03 pm

MN.Anthony can you cite the rule about stepping on home plate? I can't find anything other than the battery's box rule.

mebert on June 17, 2010, 06:06 pm

"batter's" My phone auto-filled "battery's".
Sorry.

on June 17, 2010, 06:11 pm

I will look it up when I get home. I am assuming that a 10U game is following the NFHS rules with local modifications. I am on my way to ump a game and I do not carry the rules or case books with me.

on June 18, 2010, 08:48 am

I did not get on the computer last night so I can not quote the rule. I will try to remember to give the reference tonight. I know it is in the NFHS 2010 rule book (Rule 7-3-2). The professional rules (which is also used in MN by men's leagues and Babe Ruth games) does NOT have this distinction.

alexeth on June 18, 2010, 08:58 am

Possibly related to this rule (and possibly not). Batter with 2-2 count. Pitch comes at him inside and he steps away to avoid being hit. After a short delay, umpire calls the batter out for stepping from the box. I mark it as strikeout, and try to figure out what really happened. Umpire deflects question from manager as "there's no discussion, it's a judgement call". Queries after the inning by 1st base coach got "I don't have to talk to you, you're not the manager". I looked up 6.06 and saw that the ball must be hit for the foot-out-of-box to apply. I wrote it off mentally as umpire error and left it as called out on strikes. Is there any out explanation that would account for such a call?

on June 25, 2013, 05:56 pm

Alex,
There is not an explanation that comes to mind and I believe your assumption that the umpire got it wrong is probably the closest to the truth.