Jul 27, 2014 opponents of baseballs new plateblocking rule, meant to protect catchers, got another round of ammo to add to their arsenal with what went on in philadelphia this afternoon. Cubs joe maddon compares plateblocking rule to chicagos. Get free access to baseball forums, rules analysis and exclusive email content from current and former major league baseball players and umpires. In what both sides said was a oneyear experiment, the rule allows collisions if the catcher has the ball and is blocking the runners direct path to home plate, and if the catcher goes into the. Dec 11, 20 hall of famer johnny bench tweeted out thanks to mlb on thursday for moving to ban home plate collisions. If a team bats out of turn, the onus is not on the umpires to notify either team of the transgression. This means that any time the fielder has the ball and is about to attempt to make the tag the runner needs to either slide or attempt to avoid the tag if. Important notes 1 the playing rules committee, at its december 2014 meeting, voted to reorganize and recodify the official baseball rules into a more logical. Here in the land of fruits and nuts according to wikipedia, on april 6, 2006, in a case arising from a game involving community college baseball teams, the supreme court of california ruled that baseball players in california assume the risk of being hit by baseballs even if the balls were intentionally thrown so as to cause injury. During the broadcast on fox sports 1, a rules official did clarify that if the pitcher was blocking the plate, part 2 of rule 7.
A ground rule double is a baseball rule that awards two bases from the time of pitch to all baserunners including the batterrunner, as a result of the ball leaving play after being hit fairly and leaving the field under a condition of the ground rules in effect at the field where the game is being played. Jun 19, 2014 a new plate blocking rule has catchers around the league scratching their heads. Jun 01, 2017 the rules are the rules, but the print is way too small hard to read and could use more notes and comments from mlb. According to their official rule book, obstruction is when a defensive player affects or prevents a batter from swinging at a pitched ball or hinders the progress of a runner.
Major league baseball and its players have banned most home plate collisions but left open an exception if the catcher has the ball and is blocking the runners direct path to home plate. Baseballs controversial plateblocking rule strikes again. Controversial home plate blocking rule comes into play in cubsdodgers nlcs game 1. The act of blocking the plate accounted for most of the physical contact in major league baseball prior to the 2014 season, when it was outlawed except when the catcher already has possession of the ball by the rules of baseball, a runner has the right to an unobstructed path to a base. Umpires ignorance of home plate collision rule is major problem for mlb. And at least until sunday nights game 2, so, too, is the cubs deficit in this nlcs, regardless of how many diversions maddon may create. We want to bring you the most uptodate, informative and exciting baseball information.
The catcher may not block the pathway of a runner attempting to score unless he has possession of the ball. Stump the ump catcher blocking the plate in little. Basically, the case book interprets or elaborates on the basic rules and in essence have the same effect as rules when applied to particular sections for which they are intended. Mlb bans home plate collisions, but there is an exception. Notwithstanding the above, it shall not be considered a violation of this rule 7. Some of the rules seem crazy and the history behind them would be a great addition to this book. Still, boone hates the rule that bans blocking the plate because it has. The goal of this rule is to provide clarifications of the collision rule and provide a safer game environment for the studentathletes. Runners and catchers dont have much of a clue what to do with baseballs new home plate collision rule. I have my original from 1989 and was used to that original foremat.
Heres the official mlb rule on a catcher blocking home plate. This arrangement is designed to give quicker access to any written language pertaining to an official rule and does not require a reader to refer to different. The failure by the runner to make an effort to touch the plate, the runners lowering of the shoulder, or the runners pushing through with his hands, elbows or arms, would support a determination that the runner deviated from the pathway in order to initiate contact with the catcher in violation of rule 7. If, in a rundown between third base and home plate, the succeeding runner has. The rule will no longer be enforced on force plays. Ok, so the controversial plateblocking rule has made its presence.
Controversial home plate blocking rule comes into play in cubs. Mlb adjusts blocking the plate rules, no longer enforced on force plays mlb has adjusted rule 7. Catchers still adjusting to baseballs plateblocking rule. However, this leads to some confusion because there is no must slide rule. Why gerardo parras decision to not slide into home may have. On february 24, 2014, major league baseball and the mlbpa jointly announced an experimental rulerule 7. Mlb umpires still struggling to interpret home plate collision rule. The act of blocking the plate accounted for most of the physical contact in major league baseball prior to the 2014 season, when it was outlawed except when the catcher already has possession of the ball. If the runner slides into the plate in an appropriate manner, he.
Become a part of the largest baseball rules community in the world. In this june, 2015 photo, pittsburgh pirates gregory. Controversial home plate blocking rule comes into play in. Case book material is printed in smaller type than the rule language and is labeled as comment. The modern method of blocking the plate is, quite simply, illegal. With runners at second and third, and one out, the nationals pitcher p threw a wild pitch on an intentional ball, no less.
The mlb rulebook, bill james, and the buster poseyscott cousins. Jayson stark is reporting that mlb and the players association are close to an agreement that would take the hugely unpopular blocking the plate rule and give it a few more moving parts, in the. Case book material in this edition are in shaded boxes and are labeled as comment. A catcher shall not be deemed to have violated rule 6. According to the official rule book, obstruction is defined as the act of a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball and not in the act of fielding the ball, impedes the progress of any runner. Visit our frequently asked questions section to find solutions for your issues. The amateur softball association of american sets the universal rules for softball in the united states. The obstruction rule bans unsanctioned collisions on the basepaths by preventing defensive players from blocking the passage of the baserunners. We teach our players to slide at home if the catcher is at the plate so we avoid potential injuries from running into the catcher. The 2014 revision to the official baseball rules, in renumbering the rules, has disposed of the timehonored type a and type b obstruction.
Sep 06, 2017 so deeply rooted is the rule bending tradition that players are taught specific techniques to combat it. Major league baseball has recently readdressed the issue of ensuring safety for middle infielders on doubleplay attempts in obr rule 6. Mlb is clarifying blockingtheplate rule by making it more. Catchers are taught to give signs out of reach of third base coaches and nosy batters. I have updated to current numbers and sections in contrasting color. The catcher, without the ball in his possession, has no right to block the pathway of the. Revised language of rule on putting out forced runner. Mlb adjusts blocking the plate rules, no longer enforced. The most ignored rules in the major leagues the outside corner. Stump the ump catcher blocking the plate in little league. A simple solution for baseballs home plate collision problem. A simple solution for baseballs home plate collision. But the final line of the rule states that a catcher wont be subject to.
This means that any time the fielder has the ball and is about to attempt to make the tag the runner needs to either slide or attempt to avoid the tag if he goes out of the base line he is out. Changes for the 2010 major league season iv the playing rules committee made the following changes that will be in effect for the 2010. In baseball, blocking the plate is a technique performed by a catcher to prevent a runner from scoring. For 2015 the obr book was completely revised and reorganized. Heres the rulebook definition, found in definitions obstruction. There was an unusual play in tonights nlds game between san francisco and washington. Look up rules for most levels of amateur and professional baseball, including mlb, ncaa, nfhs, little league and more. A supplement to the ncaa baseball rules prepared by the.
Mlb players should be furious with arod tampa baseballs most egregious homeplate collisions have been ruled illegal, thanks to a new agreement between major league baseball and. Beginning with the major rules differences in the nfhs rulebook which was originally one short page, i initially expanded this umpiring aid some time ago by adding rule excerpts to the simple list to assist high. It will be interesting to see where this rule goes, there has already been a lot of grey area exposed, and some of it has been clarified. Feb 24, 2014 in what both sides said was a oneyear experiment, the rule allows collisions if the catcher has the ball and is blocking the runners direct path to home plate, and if the catcher goes into the. Important notes 1 the playing rules committee, at its december 2014 meeting, voted to reorganize and recodify the official baseball rules into a more logical and organized manner. The consequences of batting out of turn vary depending on the timing of the appeal.