OBR vs Fed: Stepping on the Plate
 

Batter steps on plate but his foot is not completely out of the batter's box. In OBR, this is nothing, correct? What about FED?

How can his foot be on home plate and in the box at the same time? Part of his foot on the plate, and part in the box?? my understanding is that a hitter can't touch home plate and make contact with the ball with his bat while in the act of swinging...tough to call unless it's staring you in the face...

FED Rule 7-3-2

"A batter shall not hit the ball fair or foul while either foot is touching the ground completely outside the lines of the batter's box or touching home plate."

Penalty - "the ball becomes dead immediately and the batter is out"

A batter's foot can very easily be still legally in the box and make contact with homeplate. The distance from the edge of the box to the edge of the plate is 6" . Consider that most shaving age players have a foot longer than 6" and that the lines of the box are considered to be within the box. Now consider that in order to call a batter out for making contact with the ball outside of the box the foot has to be on the ground completely out of the box and you should see how this is possible.


Tim.

FED 7-3-2 If he hits the ball fair or foul with foot touching home plate, he is OUT. With a big enough foot - like 12 and up, easily possible to be in box and touching home plate at same time.

makes contact w/ the ball, touching home plate = out. period...whole foot, partial foot, big toe, little toe.

Have you been in the vicinity of home plate? Ever? :rolleyes:

Next time you head out to call a game, go put your toes on the plate, and see where your heel is.

Nonsense. My 7 year old daughter can have her toes on the plate and her heel on the white line. It doesn't take a large foot at all.

In FED, yes. In OBR, not true.


Tim.

I was speaking generically. I would imagine your 7-year old daughter is probably about a size 5 or 6 - about 9-1/2" long, so yes, it's possible, but also the smaller the foot the less likely it's going to happen.

But at that age, the distance from the plate is only 4 inches, not 6 inches like on the big boys' field. It is very possible for all LL participants (12U) to be both in the box and on the plate at the same time, as the line is very close. There is no penalty for this in all OBR based games. Only in the wonderful world of Fedlandia is there any such nonsense.

I'm not about to get out a ruler and debate this with you....your insults are uncalled for. 99/100 times I'm not going to see this to call it anyway...foot on plate/foot off plate. light is on/light is off, black/white. we can agree to disagree...you rule your way, I'll rule mine...when we work together you can take the plate.

No reference to home plate, but OBR guys who aren't aware, should be aware of OBR rule 6.06(a) A batter is out for illegal action when --
(a) He hits a ball with one or both feet on the ground entirely outside the batter’s box.
My question is if the entire foot is on home plate, wouldn't the entire foot be out of the batter's box??

My point was that the line (which is considered IN the box) is NOT as far as you guys seem to be indicating from the plate itself. It doesn't require a big foot at all. I'll have my 3 year old at the field tonight - I'll see if she can be both in the box and on the plate - it'll be close, but I bet she can.

Sorry if you took offense ... but you said, "How can his foot be on home plate and in the box at the same time?" To anyone who has actually called a game, this is a REALLY uninformed question. You act as if there is this huge chasm between. They are RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. Like I mentioned to bigguy, even the smallest person could be in the box and on the plate at the same time.

As to the rest of what you say ... yeah, I'm not likely to see it either. I don't believe we disagree ... I just didn't understand how an actual umpire could ask the question you asked.

Well ... yes.

But the original question was: "Batter steps on plate but his foot is not completely out of the batter's box. In OBR, this is nothing, correct? What about FED?"

In OBR, that is nothing. In FED (if you see it), it's an out. The initial sitch did not have the entire foot on home plate.

6 inches from inside line of batters box on 90 ft. diamonds.

4 inches from inside line of batters box on 60 ft. diamonds.

Mike, unless your 3 year old is Bigfoot, she isn't going to be able to be both in the box and on the plate on a "big people's" diamond. A Little League field would be more likely for this to be a possibility.

Good points mcrowder...thx for clarifying

Well, I'll never claim to work as many games as some of you on here work...I work between 40 - 70 games per season...varying in level from High School, Junior College, American Legion and Men's Amateur baseball. After I re-read my post...I could see where what I typed made sense to me...but might not make sense to others who read it...I could point it out to you on the field...but I will never, ever be asked to put together a casebook! :-) (not that you'd want me to author that in the 1st place)...people will always read things differently than the intent...I think we'd probably handle it the same way on the field...maybe not...but maybe! LOL

:D
I'll tell her someone I chat with at work called her Bigfoot - she'll love that.

And you have me wondering now - it'll be close. But I don't think 6 inches is THAT big ... and she's short for her age. I'll let y'all know.

So, in reply to the original poster...
 

in OBR it is only possible to be out if one (or both) feet are completely outside the batter's box, ie. you can have a part of a foot on the plate and in the batter's box at the same time, and not be out.

Reminds me of a joke I will not repeat, but size matters, 6 inches, 4 inches or 2 inches, as in foot length and distance from the plate on the pitch, and other more important things.

And the verdict. My 3 year old (who is small for her age) could indeed step on both the batters box and the plate at the same time. Measured the shoe at home - 7 1/2 inches.

So yes ... any normal ballplayer can EASILY step on both the line of the batters box and the plate at the same time.

I guess I must retract my "Bigfoot" comment then. We'll call her "Averagefoot.":)

small for her age? that makes her Smallfoot!

Yet she still can break baseball rules!

small for her age? that makes her Smallfoot!