No inside lines for batter's box

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Mar 20, 2014
918
28
Northwest
DD's high school team played a conference game last night against their cross-town rivals. The opposing team uses city fields for home games. When we got to the field I noticed that they only chalked the outside of the batter's box-not the inside line. I thought it looked weird but just set my chairs up and settled in. Pretty soon it became apparent what the plan was - stand right up on the plate and lean into the screwball that our pitcher throws. After she hit a couple my DD (catcher) asks the umpire to draw the line because they (her and the pitcher) have no idea where it is. The umpire just looks at her and says "they are in the box". DD respectfully says "okay that's fine but could you please draw it so my pitcher can see it. We don't know where it is". He finally draws a line with the hitters bat right next to the plate. Quite a frustrating evening.
 
Aug 6, 2013
303
0
If the line is obstructed for any reason (which this would be since it was never drawn) it's up to the umpire to judge where it should be -My guess is if he would have had the line drawn in you still would not have gotten good calls from the sound of it.
I think I would have been tempted to start painting the inside of that plate rather than throwing breaking balls
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,755
113
The lines still exist regardless of if they are there or not and the inside line of the batters box is 6" from the edge of the plate. The rules state the batter may not have any portion of the foot extending beyond any line of the batters box prior to the delivery of the pitch, so by rule the umpire should not be allowing a pitch to be thrown if the batter has their foot closer than 6" to the plate. They should be holding up the pitch and instructing the batter to get inside the box.
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,755
113
The line is part of the box and the foot may be on the line. But, the outermost edge of the line is suppose to be 6" from the edge of the plate and no portion of the foot may be outside the lines prior to the pitch.
 
Mar 20, 2014
918
28
Northwest
The line is part of the box and the foot may be on the line. But, the outermost edge of the line is suppose to be 6" from the edge of the plate and no portion of the foot may be outside the lines prior to the pitch.

Their toes were within an inch of the plate. No way were they six inches off. DD even showed him the footprint of the first lefty hitter when she asked him to draw the line...:mad:
 

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