If both feet are in the batter's box when the pitch is thrown, but one foot steps out and the other foot is in the box, is the batter out?

If one foot is on the ground out of the batters box at the time contact is made with the ball, the batter is out.

Naturally Del-Blue is correct again.

See ASA POE #7 and Rule 7 Sec 6 D.

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glen

If a batter is fully inside the box during the pitch and steps up to hit the ball and one or both feet are on the line of the batters box is he out?

..one or both feet are on the line of the batters box is he out? - No.

The lines are considered to be part of the box, so either foot must be on the ground and completely outside of the lines of the box for an out.

Or if the foot is touching the plate when she hits the ball.
(doesn't have to be completely out if touching the plate.)
Roger Greene

Keep in mind the size of the box, and how far it extends in front of the plate (four feet from the center of the plate) The line does become hard to see after a few game's.

In slow pitch Friday night, the pitcher threw a pitch about four feet inside. The batter simply backed up four feet and hit it over the fence. However, since <i> both </i> his feet were (completely) out of the box and the line was clear, it wasn't a benefit-out-the-doubt situation, so I called him out. The batter said he thought "out of the box" referred only to the front line of the box.

does the ball have to be fair or foul on contact

If one foot is completely out of the batters box and on the ground when contact with the ball is made the batter is out. Doesn't matter if it is fair or foul.

Bob

Reed2310 mentioned that there is four feet from the center of home plate forward. I thought the box was 2 feet ahead and 2 feet behind home plate? Could you direct me to the official rules that show the dimsions of the box.

Rule 2, Section 3C
Batters box is three (3) feet by seven (7) with the inside lines of the box six inches from the plate and the front line of the box shall be four feet in front of a line drawn through the center of home plate.

stepping out of box
 

If the foot is completely out of the box on the ground at the point of bat contact with the ball, I would have a dead ball and the batter is out. Any runners on base would return to the last base occupied at the time of the pitch.

Michael

Heard this one the other night when I ruled the batter out for being out of the box and making contact with the ball. It was a right-handed batter with the ball of his left foot infront of and to the 1B side of the plate. It was a no brainer.

The on deck batter argued that only the front half of the foot was on the ground, out of the box at the time of contact. I thanked him very much for confirming my call. The he said that since the complete foot wasn't on the ground, out of the box I could not make that call.

I explained to him that the rule only requires that part of the foot in contact with the ground at the time of the hit be completely out of the box.

I don't think he believed me, but he just shrugged and stepped up to the plate.