1. Objective of the Game
  2. Definition of Terms
  3. Game Preliminaries
  4. Starting and Ending Games
  5. Putting the Ball in Play
  6. The Batter
  7. The Runner
  8. The Pitcher
  9. The Umpire
  10. The Official Scorer

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7.00 - The Runner
7.01 - A runner acquires the right to an unoccupied base when that runner touches it before being put out. The runner is then entitled to it until put out or forced to vacate it for another runner legally entitled to that base.
7.02 - In advancing, a runner shall touch first, second, third and home base in order. If forced to return, the runner shall retouch all bases in reverse order, unless the ball is dead under any provision of Rule 5.09. In such cases, the runner may go directly to the original base.
7.03 - Two runners may not occupy a base, but if, while the ball is alive, two runners are touching the base, the following runner shall be out when tagged. The preceding runner is entitled to the base.
7.04 - Each runner, other than the batter, may, without liability to be put out, advance one base when:
(a) [Reserved]
(b) The batter's advance without liability to be put out forces the runner to vacate a base, or when the batter hits a fair ball that touches another runner or the umpire before such ball has been touched by, or has passed a fielder, if the runner is forced to advance;
(c) A fielder, after catching a fly ball, falls into a bench or stand, or falls across ropes into a crowd when spectators are on the field;
(d) Reserved
· NOTE: When a runner is entitled to a base without liability to be put out, while the ball is in play, or under any rule in which the ball is in play after the runner reaches an entitled base, and the runner fails to touch the base to which that runner is entitled before attempting to advance to the next base, the runner shall forfeit the exemption from liability to be put out and may be put out by tagging the base or by tagging the runner before that runner returns to the missed base.
7.05 - Each runner including the batter-runner may, without liability to be put out, advance:
(a)(1) - To home base scoring a run if the batter hits a fair fly ball over the fence or into the bleachers 160 feet or more from home plate, provided all runners touch all bases legally; or if a fair ball which in the umpire's judgment would have gone out of the playing field in flight is deflected by an act of the fielder in throwing a glove, cap or any article of apparel. (Application of this rule is subject to Rule 7:13.) The batter hitting the home run shall be required to run the bases and he shall be required to touch all bases.
(a)(2) - Two bases if the batter hits a fly ball that passes over a fence less than 160 feet from home plate. The ball is dead.
· NOTE: Dixie Youth Baseball recommends that the home run fence be placed at a minimum distance of 180 feet from home plate.
(b) Three bases, if a fielder deliberately touches a fair ball with a cap, mask or any part of that fielder's uniform detached from its proper place on the person of said fielder. The ball is in play and the batter may advance to home plate at the batter's peril;
(c) Three bases, if a fielder deliberately throws a glove and touches a fair ball. The ball is in play and batter may advance to home plate at that batter's own peril;
(d) Two bases, if a fielder deliberately touches a thrown ball with a cap, mask or any part of the uniform detached from its proper place on the person of said fielder. The ball is in play;
(e) Two bases, if a fielder deliberately throws a glove at and touches a thrown ball. The ball is in play;
(f) Two bases, if a fair ball bounces or is deflected into the stands outside the first or third base foul line; or if it goes through or under a field fence, or through or under a scoreboard, or through or under shrubbery or vines on the fence; or if it sticks in such fence, scoreboard, shrubbery or vines;
(g) Two bases if a fair ball touches a spectator or if it bounces into a stand outside the first or third base foul lines or if it goes through or under the fence, scoreboard, etc., or bounces over a fence.
(h) One base, if a ball, pitched to the batter, or thrown by the pitcher from the position on the pitcher's plate to a base to catch a runner goes into a stand or a bench, or over or through a field fence or backstop. The ball is dead;
(i) One base, if the batter becomes a runner on a ball four when the pitch passes the catcher and lodges in the umpire's mask or paraphernalia. NOTE: If the batter becomes a runner on a wild pitch which entitles the runners to advance one base, the batter-runner shall be entitled to first base only.
7.06 - When obstruction occurs, the umpire shall call or signal "Obstruction."
(a) If a play is being made on the obstructed runner, or if the batter-runner is obstructed before touching first base, the ball is dead and all runners shall advance without liability to be put out, to the bases they would have reached, in the umpires judgment, if there had been no obstruction. The obstructed runner shall be awarded at least one base beyond the base last legally touched by such runner, before the obstruction. Any preceding runners forced to advance by the award of bases as the penalty for obstruction shall advance without liability to be put out;
(b) If no play is being made on the obstructed runner, the play shall proceed until no further action is possible. The umpire shall then call "Time" and impose such penalties, if any as in that umpire's judgment will nullify the act of obstruction.
7.07 - [Reserved]
7.08 - Any runner is out when:
(a)(1) the runner runs more than three feet away from a direct line between bases to avoid being tagged, unless such action is to avoid interference with a fielder fielding a batted ball; or (2) after touching first base the runner leaves the baseline, obviously abandoning all effort to touch the next base;
(b) Intentionally interferes with a thrown ball; or hinders a fielder attempting to make a play on a batted ball;
(c) The runner is tagged, when the ball is alive, while off a base
· EXCEPTION: A batter-runner cannot be tagged out after overrunning or oversliding first base if said batter-runner returns immediately to the base.
· APPROVED RULING: (1) If the impact of a runner breaks a base loose from its position, no play can be made on that runner at that base if the runner had reached the base safely.
· APPROVED RULING: (2) If a base is dislodged from its position during a play, any following runner on the same play shall be considered as touching of occupying the base if, in the umpires judgment, that runner touches or occupies the point marked by the dislodged bag.
(d) the runner fails to retouch his or her base after a fair or foul fly ball is legally caught before that runner or the base is tagged by a fielder. The runner shall not be called out for failure to retouch the base after the first following pitch, or any play or attempted play. This is an appeal play;
(e) the runner fails to reach the next base before a fielder tags said runner or the base after that runner has been forced to advance by reason of the batter becoming a runner. However, if a following runner is put out on a force play, the force is removed and the runner must be tagged to be put out. The force is removed as soon as the runner touches the base to which that runner is forced to advance, and if oversliding or overrunning the base, the runner must be tagged to be put out. However, if the forced runner, after touching the next base, retreats for any reason towards the base last occupied, the force play is reinstated and the runner can again be put out if the defense tags the base to which the runner is forced;
(f) the runner is touched by a fair ball in fair territory before the ball has touched or passed an infielder. The ball is dead and no runner may score, no runners advance, except runners forced to advance;
· EXCEPTION: If a runner is touching a base when touched by an Infield Fly, that runner is not out, although the batter is out.
· NOTE: If a runner is touched by an Infield Fly when not touching a base, both runner and batter are out.
(g) the runner attempts to score on a play in which the batter interferes with the play at home base before two are out. With two out, the interference puts the batter out and no score counts;
(h) the runner passes a preceding runner before such runner is out;
(i) After acquiring legal possession of a base, the runner runs the bases in reverse order for the purpose of confusing the defense or making a travesty of the game. The umpire shall immediately call "Time" and declare the runner out;
(j) the runner fails to return at once to first base after overrunning or oversliding that base. If attempting to run to second the runner is out when tagged. If after overrunning or oversliding first base, the runner starts toward the dugout, or toward a position, and fails to return to first base at once, that runner is out on appeal, when said runner or the base is tagged;
(k) In running or sliding for home base, the runner fails to touch home base and makes no attempt to return to the base, when a fielder holds the ball in hand, while touching home base, and appeals to the umpire for the decision.
(l) The runner, while attempting to reach the next base, attempts a head-first slide.
· NOTE: This shall apply only to a runner attempting to reach the next base and does not apply to a dive or attempt to return to a base.
(m) The runner does not slide or attempt to get around a fielder who has the ball and is waiting to make the tag
· NOTE: The ball is dead and other base runners take bases they had reached, in the umpire's judgment, when the violation occurred.
7.09 - It is interference by a batter or a runner when:
(a) After a third strike the batter hinders the catcher in an attempt to field the ball;
(b) After hitting or bunting a fair ball, while holding the bat, the bat of such batter hits the ball c secondetime in fair territory. The ball is dead and no runners may advance. If the batter-runner drops the bat and the ball rolls against the bat in fair territory and, in the umpire's judgment, there was no intention to interfere with the course of the ball, the ball is alive and in play;
(c) The batter intentionally deflects the course of a foul ball in any manner;
(d) Before two are out and a runner on third base, the batter hinders a fielder making a play at home base; the runner is out;
(e) Any member or members of the offensive team stand or gather around any base to which a runner is advancing, to confuse, hinder or add to the difficulty of the fielders. Such runner shall be declared out for the interference of teammate or teammates;
(f) Any batter or runner who has just been put out hinders or impedes any following play being made on a runner. Such runner shall be declared out for the interference of a teammate;
(g) If, in the judgment of the umpire, a base runner willfully and deliberately interferes with a batted ball or a fielder in the act of fielding a batted ball with the obvious intent to break up a double play, the ball is dead. The umpire shall call the runner out for interference and also call out the batter-runner because of the action of the runner. In no event may bases be run or runs scored because of such action by a runner;
(h) If, in the judgment of the umpire, a batter-runner willfully and deliberately interferes with a batted ball or a fielder in the act of fielding a batted ball, with the obvious intent to break up a double play, the ball is dead; the umpire shall call the batter-runner out for interference and shall also call out the runner who advanced closest to the home plate regardless where the double play might have been possible. In no event shall bases be run because of such interference;
(i) In the judgment of the umpire, the base coach at third base, or first base, by touching or holding the runner, physically assists that runner in returning to or leaving third base or first base;
(j) With a runner on third base, the base coach leaves the box and acts in any manner to draw a throw by a fielder;
(k) In running the last half of the distance from home base to first base while the ball is being fielded to first base, the batter-runner runs outside (to the right of) the three-foot line, or inside (to the left of) the foul line and, in the umpire's judgment, interferes with the fielder taking the throw at first base or attempting to field a batted ball;
(l) The runner fails to avoid a fielder who is attempting to field a batted ball, or intentionally interferes with a thrown ball, provided that if two or more fielders attempt to field a batted ball, and the runner comes in contact with one or more of them, the umpire shall determine which fielder is entitled to the benefit of this rule, and shall not declare the runner out for coming in contact with a fielder other than the one the umpire determines to be entitled to field such a ball;
(m) A fair ball touches the batter or runner in fair territory before touching a fielder. If a fair ball goes through or by an infielder and touches a runner immediately back of said infielder or touches the runner after having been deflected by a fielder, the umpire shall not declare the runner out for being touched by a batted ball. In making such decision, the umpire must be convinced that the ball passed through or by the infielder and that no other infielder had the chance to make a play on the ball, if in the judgment of the umpire, the runner deliberately and intentionally kicks such a batted ball on which the infielder had missed a play, then the runner shall be called out for interference.
Penalty for Interference: The runner is out and the ball is dead.
7.10 - Any runner shall be called out, on appeal, when:
(a) After a fly ball is caught the runner fails to retouch the base before said runner or the base is tagged;
(b) With the ball in play, while advancing or returning to a base, the runner fails to touch each base in order before said runner, or a missed base, is tagged:
· APPROVED RULING: (1) No runner may return to touch a missed base after a following runner has scored.
· (2) When the ball is dead no runner may return to touch a missed base or one abandoned after said runner has advanced to and touched a base beyond the missed base.
(c) The runner overruns or overslides first base and fails to return to the base immediately, and said runner or the base is tagged;
(d) The runner fails to touch home base and makes no attempt to return to that base, and home base is tagged.
Any appeal under this rule must be made before the next pitch, or any play or attempted play. If the violation occurs during a play which ends a half-inning, the appeal must be made before the defensive team leaves the field. (The defensive team has left the field when no players remain in fair territory.)
An appeal is not to be interpreted as a play or an attempted play.
Successive appeals may not be made on a runner at the same base. If the defensive team on its first appeal errs, a request for a second appeal on the same runner at the same base shall not be allowed by the umpire. (Intended meaning of the word "err" is that the defensive team in making an appeal threw the ball out of play. For example, if the pitcher threw to first base to appeal and threw the ball into the stands, no second appeal would be allowed.)
· NOTE: Appeal plays may require an umpire to recognize an apparent "fourth out." If the third out is made during a play in which an appeal play is sustained on another runner, the appeal play decision takes precedence in determining the out. If there is more than one appeal during a play that ends a half-inning, the defense may elect to take the out that gives it the advantage. For the purposes of this rule, the defensive team has "left the field" when all players have left fair territory on their way to the bench or dugout.
7.11 - The players, coaches or any member of an offensive team shall vacate any space (including both dugouts) needed by a fielder who is attempting to field a batted or thrown ball.
· PENALTY: Interference shall be called and the batter or runner on whom the play is being made shall be declared out.
7.12 - Unless two are out, the status of a following runner is not affected by a preceding runner's failure to touch or retouch a base. If, upon appeal, the preceding runner is the third out, no runners following the preceding runner shall score. If such third out is the result of a force play, neither preceding nor following runners shall score.
7.13 - (a) When a pitcher is in contact with the pitchers plate with the ball in his possession, and the catcher is in the catcher's box in position to receive the pitch, all runners shall be in contact with their bases and shall not leave their bases until the pitch has reached the plate.
(b) If a runner leaves the base before the pitch reaches the plate the base umpire shall drop a signal flag to indicate the violation at the time it occurs.
· PENALTY: The defensive team shall have the privilege of having nullified any portion of the play that occurred on the violation.
· EXCEPTION: The above penalty shall not apply:
o (1) If the batter hits a ground rule double, all runners will advance two bases without liability to be put out.
o (2) If the batter hits a fly ball over the outfield fence in fair territory (home run), all runners will be allowed to score
o (3) If the batter is hit by a pitched ball, the ball is dead and all other runners will not advance unless forced to vacate the base for another runner legally entitled to that base.