New rule: Foot on Batter Box line.

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martianr

Softball DAD
Jan 26, 2014
177
18
Whiting, Iowa
I was watching a few college game this weekend. And a couple of announcers and commentators made reference of the new BATTER BOX RULE. That the batter had to have (I think both) both feet in the batter box when making contact. At no time can the foot or feet touch any part of the Batter Box line. Or the batter was out. Is that correct?

Also, does the rule apply that when a batter makes contact and one foot is off the ground(and out of the batter box) and the other foot is in the batter box. Is the batter out.

I guess I am looking for clarification of the new batter in the box rule.
 
Feb 13, 2015
164
18
I was watching a few college game this weekend. And a couple of announcers and commentators made reference of the new BATTER BOX RULE. That the batter had to have (I think both) both feet in the batter box when making contact. At no time can the foot or feet touch any part of the Batter Box line. Or the batter was out. Is that correct?

Also, does the rule apply that when a batter makes contact and one foot is off the ground(and out of the batter box) and the other foot is in the batter box. Is the batter out.

I guess I am looking for clarification of the new batter in the box rule.

The chalk line is always part of the box. The rule is that neither foot may touch the ground outside the box. In the air is fine. Foot must touch ground outside the box to violate this rule.
 
Apr 5, 2013
2,130
83
Back on the dirt...
I think I understood it to be you had to be inside the lines now as part of the new rule. I saw it here but not sure what post it was in. And yes, its just one foot inside the lines of the box.
 
Feb 13, 2015
164
18
Here is the wording for the new rule:
At the moment of bat-ball contact, the batter may not contact the pitch when any part of her foot is touching home plate, even though she may be touching the lines of the batter’s box. In addition, the batter may not contact the pitch when her entire foot is touching the ground completely outside the lines of the batter’s box.

Rationale:
It is increasingly difficult for plate umpires to assure the delivery of the pitch is legal, track the pitch, be aware of the position of the batter in the batter’s box on a hit by pitch and see if the batter has stepped completely outside the box at the point of contact. Also, ensures slappers do not gain an unfair advantage that other batters do not have by being allowed to contact the ball while outside of the batter’s box.


The italicized lines are stricken out text from the original ruling that indicate that any part of the foot touching the line is OK. The foot must be in the batter's box which means that no part of the foot may be across the chalk and into the dirt outside the line. The line is in the batter's box just as the baseline chalk is fair territory.

Here is a link to rule changes: https://sup.arbitersports.com/Groups/104484/Library/files/2018_2019_WSB_Rules_Changes_20170817.pdf
 
Last edited:
Aug 21, 2011
1,345
38
38°41'44"N 121°9'47.5"W
All they had to do was enforce the old rule as written. I was constantly seeing batters make contact with one foot completely out of the box several times during the WCWS and it wasn't called.
 

martianr

Softball DAD
Jan 26, 2014
177
18
Whiting, Iowa
I think I understood it to be you had to be inside the lines now as part of the new rule. I saw it here but not sure what post it was in. And yes, its just one foot inside the lines of the box.

That is the same description I heard also. "No part of the foot could touch the line". If they stay in the batter box, when they make ball contact, it would be so much easier to notice when they step out or on the line.
 
Dec 11, 2010
4,713
113
I saw this called half a dozen times over the weekend.... Not slappers, all bunts. Couple were righties. It really had me wondering what the purpose of it was. What "problem" is being solved, what advantage there is to a bunter.

The lines were completely gone in one game and that dude just kept calling it. It was awful.

In another game I thought a rather well known female coach was going to chew the face off of some twerp kid of an umpire who honestly had no business calling a game like that.

This is a really dumb rule. It screws up games. It has all the fans trying to watch wondering what the call is. Get rid of this thing NOW. Our sport is getting more coverage than ever but these are little wtf? type moments that turn spectators off and there is NO reason for it.
 

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