Home Run....Batter Runner slaps high fives

[Carl Childress]

Originally posted by illiniwek8
OK....what is the official ruling here? Batter/Runner hits a home run and while rounding third and before he touches home plate...a few of his teammates slap him high fives. The call here is?????

Here's the skinny.

Some amateur coaches were playing in NCAA when there was a severe penalty for the action you describe.

Beginning in 1983, the home runner hitter was out when anyone other than the base coach touched him before he touched the plate. (7-11x)

In 1984 they tweaked it a little by adding "after a warning, the batter is out...," etc.

In 1999, the NCAA dropped that statute (7-11x is no longer in the book) and replaced it with: For the action you describe: Warning first offense; ejection, subsequent offenses. (5-2d)

BTW: They also added that other than "preceding base runners" no team member could be on the dirt at home plate. The penalty: Warning first offense; second offense, ejection of "one of the offending players."

That's still the rule in NCAA!

You never mentioned the level of play, so those who rushed to say there is no penalty could be wrong.

Lah, me, everyone is an expert these days. I suppose I had better start reading The Forum daily. (grin)

One thing's sure: The question is not an OOO. In my area, coaches do not permit their players to violate the [non-existent FED] rule. I am always amused when I hear a coach scream: "Stay off the dirt!" It happened in my game Tuesday night. Both coaches had played at the local D1 school.

Personally, I think it would be a positive move for FED to adopt it as well. Some teams visiting in our area clog up the third-base line after a home run. The home team coach always hustles out to demand we enforce the penalty and becomes quite disgruntled when he finds there isn't one.