High-Five a base runner?

On a home run over the fence, is there any rule against an offensive player, who has come out of a dugout, touching the base runners before they touch home plate?

Watching a game during a break with our team and one player hit one over the fence for a 3 run homer. As I see often now, the offensive players empty the dug out and crowd around home plate. One of the players from the dug out was a little down the line towards 3rd base and was giving "high fives" to the players as they went form 3rd to home.

Defense coach was trying to convince Blue there was something wrong with it... but I saw no harm with it. Blue let the runs count and basically just dismissed the defense coach. The player wasn't physically helping the base runners... just a high-five.

So... any rule broken here?

One of the players on my DD's team hit a home run and the same thing happened. I personally thought the players should stay in the dugout, but the umpire didn't seem to mind. The umpire was watching very closely to make sure the runners touched homeplate.

Goobie said:

Defense coach was trying to convince Blue there was something wrong with it... but I saw no harm with it. Blue let the runs count and basically just dismissed the defense coach. The player wasn't physically helping the base runners... just a high-five.

So... any rule broken here?

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Not sure if a rule was broken, although I know that it's OK for the base coach to high-five. So my guess is that it's legal since there was no real assistance given.

What's interesting to me is the fact that the defensive coach made an issue of of it. ... Let's say that it is some little-known rule. Does he really want to cheat a kid out of a home run over it? It's one thing to miss a base, but I would not want to deprive a child the thrill of a HR over that kind of nit-pick.

Goobie said:

On a home run over the fence, is there any rule against an offensive player, who has come out of a dugout, touching the base runners before they touch home plate?

Watching a game during a break with our team and one player hit one over the fence for a 3 run homer. As I see often now, the offensive players empty the dug out and crowd around home plate. One of the players from the dug out was a little down the line towards 3rd base and was giving "high fives" to the players as they went form 3rd to home.

Defense coach was trying to convince Blue there was something wrong with it... but I saw no harm with it. Blue let the runs count and basically just dismissed the defense coach. The player wasn't physically helping the base runners... just a high-five.

So... any rule broken here?

Click to expand...

Speaking ASA

No

Covered in softball myths.

A runner is out if he slaps hands or high-fives other players, after a homerun is hit over the fence. A runner is only out if a player (who is not a runner) or coach physically assists a player in running the bases. As you can imagine, a high-five could not be judged as physically assisting. See ASA 8-8-E

More than that . . . The rule (in my book it's 8-7-E, but it's a couple of years old) says a runner is out when physically assisted while the ball is live. Pop quiz for the defensive coach in the OP: When a home run is hit over the fence, the ball is . . . . (hint: dead).

Drudging up an old thread.

Similar situation as to the original post.

2 base runners on. Batter hits home run over the fence. Both base runners cross home plate and touch all the bases. Batter touches all of the bases and is greeted at home plate by team mates who apparently high five or otherwise touch batter before she touches home plate.

Field umpire calls batter out because "she was touched before reaching home plate".

This was a 3 run home run that would have given a 2 run lead, now becomes 2 runs in the top of the 4th inning, giving a 1 run lead. In the bottom of the 4th, home team scores 1 run to tie the game. No more runs are scored in following innings before time runs out. Tied at the end of regulation time, therefore game is taken into extra innings.

Batter was not assisted in any way and umpire did not make the call when batter gave the 3rd base coach a high five as she went by

National Federation rules. High School district tournament. Team ended up losing in extra innings.

At least with the NCAA this is a point of emphasis this year. Base coach is no problem. Player from dugout is an issue. Players must wait in foul territory for player to reach home plate.

12.2.16 When, after hitting an out-of-the-park home run, providing her team
previously was warned under Rule 9.6.3, a member of the offensive team
enters fair territory to congratulate the batter before she touches home plate.
EFFECT—The ball is dead. The batter is out and credited with the last base
legally touched at the time team personnel entered fair territory.
Each other base runner must return to the last base legally
touched at the time of the interference.

No rule in FED stating the runner cannot be touched. As for NCAA, the rule quoted would first require a previous incident and warning prior to calling the runner out, and it also requires the player or players doing the touching to be in fair territory.

Comp said:

No rule in FED stating the runner cannot be touched. As for NCAA, the rule quoted would first require a previous incident and warning prior to calling the runner out, and it also requires the player or players doing the touching to be in fair territory.

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The purpose of this rule to to ensure that the umpire can see that all bases are legally touched. However, there is no distinction made with respect to being in fair or foul territory and touching the runner. Aside from touching the runner just congregating in fair territory without touching will draw a warning then an out.