Quote:
Originally posted by Dakota
Let's see...
The hands are part of the bat, and the black rim is not part of the plate. 
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From 2001 USSSA rulebook online:
Sec. 4. THE HOME PLATE shall be made of rubber or other suitable materials. It shall be a five-sided figure, 17 inches across the front edge of the plate facing the Pitcher. The sides shall be parallel to the inside lines of the batter's boxes and shall be 8 1/2 inches long, extending forward toward the pitcher's plate from either base line. The sides of the plate, from the rear corner, along with the base line, shall be 12 inches long, set wholly within the base lines, where they form a square angle, with the point pointing toward the Catcher. The home plate is always a part of Fair Territory. The black border that outlines the plate is NOT to be considered home plate.
That last sentence is the main reason I inquired.