Foul or Out?
 

NFHS but will apply to all I'm certain.

Had question asked last night about FED 7-4-13.

If a batter hits the ball, then steps out of the box with one foot only and then is hit by batted ball do you have a foul, or an out?

There have been two answers given to the asker, and I have also received two from a few umpires.

What is your ruling?

One of my UIC told me if one foot is out and the other foot is touching in the box it is foul. if one foot is out and the other foot in the air, out. Dave

A player is in the box until they aren't. Foul.

Can you point to the rules reference for that?
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This situation has been discussed on this and other boards before. I don't believe anyone has ever been able to get a verified rules reference specific to this situation; so everyone answers based on what they have been told, or how they think it should be ruled.

I would reference every other game situation I can think of for equivalent rulings. If a batter contacts the ground with one foot completely out of the batter's box and contacts the ball with the bat, the batter is "out of the batter's box". If a batter-runner contacts the ground with one foot completely out of the running lane, the batter-runner is out of the running lane. If a pitcher contacts the ground with one foot completely out of the pitching circle, the pitcher is out of the circle with regard to the lookback rule. If a fielder steps with one foot completely into dead ball territory, the fielder is in dead ball territory.

Conversely, I cannot think of any situation where a player steps completely into an area with one foot where that player does not establish position in that new area. There may be one, but it isn't coming to me right now.

My conclusion is that stepping with one foot completely out of the batter's box is out of the batter's box; no matter what rule you reference. JMO.

Foul ball

Where was the ball when it hit the batter/batter-runner? If it was over foul territory, I don't care where the runner's foot was.

I agree with Irish!!!
 

If the ball was over foul territory when it hit the batter/runner then its foul. If its over fair territory then I have an out.

That of course is true, but assume it was fair.

My conclusion is that stepping with one foot completely out of the batter's box is out of the batter's box; no matter what rule you reference.

I think that's the correct reading of the rule. In the real world, however, it's more "ball hits batter" is foul, and "batter hits ball" is an out.

For example, if a bunt hits the plate and bounces straight up, and then the BR runs into the ball or her first step toward 1B, that's virtually always called foul. Of course, it's usually hard to tell exactly where the foot was when the ball hit the BR, so a call of foul usually gets no argument.

But if the bunt rolls in front of the plate and the BR steps on it with her foot completely out of the box, that's an out.

Confusion also arises when the ball bounces up and hits the bat or the BR over fair territory, but the batter's feet are both in the box. Foul ball.

Since part of the batter's box is in fair territory, I disagree with you. Dave

what if it hits tem inside the batters box, in fair ground.

Rule 7.4. Art 8. NFHS.

Sorry, wrong rule reference. That rule is talking about making contact with the ball the first time. The OP is asking about making contact with the ball a second time. Dave

This rule tells you if you make contact with 1 foot out of box, your out of box. If one foot is out of box and runner is hit by fair batted ball, runner is out because he was hit by batted ball before it passed a fielder. The rule cited is to make it clear when a batter is out of box. If her foot is in fair and makes contact with ball, OUT.