first base safety base

[sneallyk]

Can anyone give the specific rule #'s for both Fed & OBR regarding the first base safety base. Can the defensive player touch either side to record an out or do they have to touch white only?

[spots101]

I personally have never seen the safety base in baseball but in slow-pitch (USSSA) the orange base is only used by the offensive player when a play (or potential play) is immenent at first. If that player attempts to go to 2nd and returns to first he/she must retouch the white base. IOW, once the initial play is over at first, the orange base becomes invisible.

In order for the defense to get an out for the offensive player not using the safety base (on the initial play at 1st) it MUST be on an appeal.

[PeteBooth]

Originally posted by sneallyk

Can anyone give the specific rule #'s for both Fed & OBR regarding the first base safety base. Can the defensive player touch either side to record an out or do they have to touch white only?

Here's the FED ruling. There is no OBR Ruling as it would be a local league rule.

1.Runner should use colored base on INITIAL play at first base, UNLESS the fielder is drawn to the side of the colored base, in which case the runner would go to the white base and the fielder to the colored.

2. On a dropped third strike, fielder and runner may touch white or the colored base.

3. A runner is never out for touching the white base rather than the colored base.

4. Once the runner reaches first base, the runner shall then use the white base.

Pete Booth

[sneallyk]

Thanks Pete, thats the way I have always applied the rule for FED. The problem we have in the Omaha area is FED rules are applied for spring baseball but a lot of the local high schools leave the safety bases at first base for the summer legion teams when OBR rules are applied.