Sports Officiating Baseball Review Rules 6-10 Mr. Brewer

Pitching Key Points: -2 Positions a Pitcher can pitch from on the mound. -The Wind-up -The Wind-up involves starting with both feet on the pitcher’s plate, facing the batter. -Followed by stepping behind the pitcher’s plate with your NON-PIVOT foot and Pivoting the PIVOT right in front of the pitcher’s plate, parallel to the pitcher’s plate. -To stop the pitching sequence legally, the pitcher must step off of the pitcher’s plate with the PIVOT foot first. -The Set Position  AKA “The Stretch” -The Set Position or “the stretch” starts with a foot already parallel to the pitcher’s plate. -When coming “set” after reading the sign, the pitcher must have hands together BELOW the chin. -Prior to coming set, while taking signs and 1 foot on the rubber, a pitcher may turn his shoulders to check a baserunner, but it is an infraction to turn the shoulders once he becomes “set”.

Pitcher Infractions: -What is a Balk? -What different infractions can result in a balk? -What if no one is on base when an infraction that normally would result in a balk occurs? -**Take a couple minute to check the rule book and make a class list and answer questions above** -Rule 6.2.1

Pitching Continued Warm-up Pitches: -Pitchers will get a Maximum of 8 pitches to warm-up upon 1 st entry into the game. -Every inning to follow that the pitcher comes back out to the mound to pitch, he will get 5 warm-up pitches. -Pitcher’s must come to a COMPLETE stop when pitching out of the stretch. -This stop occurs after the pitcher gets the sign from the catcher, and then proceeds to the set position.

Pitching Equipment The Pitcher’s Plate  AKA “The Rubber” is 60 feet and 6 inches away from home plate. The Pitcher’s Plate is 24” wide, and needs to be in contact with a pitcher’s pivot foot at all times during a live pitching sequence. (Already in position when starting from the set position.) The Pitcher’s plate sits on top of, and centered in the middle of a pitcher’s mound.

Base Running In order to score, a baserunner must reach each of the following bases safely and in the listed order: 1 st base  2 nd Base  3 rd Base  Home Plate - If a baserunner misses a base while attempting to advance (or score), the result of the play will stand unless the defensive team APPEALS the play, and the umpire confirms that the player missed the base. Key Points: -A baserunner may not pass another baserunner or intentionally interfere with a defensive player. -* It is the responsibility of the baserunner to avoid making contact with the defensive player if the defensive player is attempting to make a play at the ball. -A baserunner must “tag-up” before advancing to another base if the defense catches the ball in the air prior to it touching the ground or other obstructing object. -* A baserunner must wait until the ball is caught before leaving the occupied base. IF a team believes that a runner left prior to the ball being controlled completely, they can APPEAL the play by calling time out and indicating to the umpire that they would like to appeal the play. - * A baserunner is able to “tag-up” up on a ball that is caught in fair OR foul territory.

Base Running More Key Points: -A baserunner must stay in the “baseline”. The baseline is considered to be a direct line from one base to another. -A baserunner may attempt to avoid a tag by deviating from this line, but is to be given no more than 3 feet deviation from a direct line to the bag, at the discretion of the umpire in position to make the call. -A baserunner must stop and hold each base to remain “safe”, with the exception of 1 st base following a ball put into play by a batter. -When running to first base to beat out a throw, a runner may run through 1 st base without being vulnerable to an out. -* 1 exception to the rule would be if the runner made a movement, a flinch or feint, toward 2 nd base after running through the bag. In that case the runner would have to safely reach either 1 st or 2 nd base without being “put out”.

Batting Prior to the start of the game, the head coach must establish a starting line-up, and batters must bat in the selected order for the remainder of the game. A batter may successfully reach base by doing 1 of the following: – Having 4 balls being called by the umpire. Result is being awarded 1 st base. (Any runner occupying a base immediately in front of the walked batter will also advance a base.) – Successfully hitting a ball into fair territory, and safely reaching a base. – If a pitch is made, and the batter swings and misses OR a 3 rd strike is called by the umpire, and the catcher drops the pitch, the runner may attempt to run to first base and will be granted the base if he reaches safely. – ** In the case that the batter swings and strikes the catcher’s glove, the batter will receive the result of the play if he reaches base safely, OR will be granted 1 st base as a result of the infraction. (Catcher’s Interference)

Batting A batter can be called “OUT” if one of the following occurs: – The Batter has 3 strikes called against him. Strikes can be CALLED if they cross the plate, within the strike zone and the catcher catches the ball. OR they can result from the batter swinging at, and missing the pitch. – The Batter hits a fly ball that is caught, or puts the ball in play and is called out prior to reaching a base safely. * A batter is entitled to the space inside of the batter’s box that he chooses. Between pitches, a batter is expected to keep 1 foot in the batter’s box at all times. A few exceptions to the rule can be found at RULE A-H. If a baserunner is attempting to advance to a base between pitches, the batter is to remain in the batter’s box. Moving out of the batter’s box can result in batter’s interference if the catcher hits the batter attempting to make a play.

Strikes and Balls Strikes vs. Balls – Strikes: A pitch enters the strike zone in flight, the batter does not swing. A failed attempted swing at a pitch. A foul ball with less than 2 strikes. – * A foul ball with 2 strikes results in NO CHANGE to the count. A pitch that is foul tipped and caught by the catcher with 2 strikes. (Strike 3) A Batter Delay – Balls: A pitch out of the strike zone, the batter does not swing. An illegal pitch made by the pitcher with no one on base. Pitcher Delay