How many feet in the Box

[GA42sDad]

Simple little question. I read the NFHS rule book for 2011, and it states that unqoute a batter while attempting to hit a batted ball must have both feet in the box.

I was coaching a game last year where a batter had 3/4 of her front foot sticking out of the box at contact. I asked the umpire if this was legal and he informed me that the batter only has to have one foot in the box at contact.

Can anyone help me with this question. Thanks

 

[Amy in AZ.]

If her foot was touching the line, it was in the box. But, the umps explanation was wrong. Her foot can even be in the air and not out of the box.

I don't have a rule book, so some umps will probably give you a better answer.

 

[quincy]

I think this is the ASA rule, batter is out:

When an entire foot is touching the ground completely outside the lines of the batter's box when the ball makes contact with the bat.

 

[SBFAMILY]

Many Blue get this wrong over the years. Keep in mind the foot is not out of the batters box if any part of the foot is touching the white line. We had an umpire call make this call 6 times in an indoor game with no batters box. All were slappers. If you use the cross over step it is impossible to get your foot entirely out of the box unless you start in the front of the box. We do not teach that. I guess if my kid is 6" 5" they may have enough reach to get the foot out, but my tallest kid is 5" 6". Other issue with Blue you stepped in front of the plate? Again if the heel is still touching the white line that is a bogus call. We have one local umpire in our area that just doesn't like slappers so he makes these stupid calls. Bret knows him and it is time he retires. Without a batters box the only two calls I make. Stepping on the plate at contact. You run way out of the box and make contact.

 

[BretMan]

Wow. I can't imagine making that call six times in one game. I think that I have made it maybe twice in ten years!

This rule is the same for all baseball and softball rule sets. If a batter hits the ball (either fair or foul) while a foot is entirely on the ground outside the batter's box, it is a dead ball and the batter is out.

What's described in the first post is perfectly legal (even if the explanation you got was off the mark). So long as any portion of the batter's foot is within the box, or touching the lines, she has met the requirement for being "in the box".

(This assumes that no portion of the foot is touching home plate, which is covered by a different rule. In softball, any contact with the plate when hitting the ball is illegal, even if the rest of the foot is in the box.)

A couple of other notes on the batter's box:

- The above rule applies when the batter actually hits the ball. Prior to the pitch, the rule is a little different. While preparing to receive the pitch, the batter must have both feet entirely within the batter's box. The feet may be touching the lines, but no portion of the foot may be extended out beyond them.

- Even if there are no batter's boxes lined out, all of the rules pertaining to the boxes still apply. The only difference is that instead of a nice white chalk line to help the umpire make this call, the size and location of the box is entirely up to the umpire's judgment (and you hope that he has an idea of the proper batter's box size and location). When no boxes are drawn, umpires are instructed to give the batter every benefit of the doubt before making this call. It should be reserved only for gross/obvious/blatant violations.

 

[Carty]

I've had this called only a few times also. Everytime there has been no lines with a slapper. Every time the blue did not know the foward dimesions of the box since they were called out in that direction (not slamming blues here). Tough call and nothing you can do. Brettman has the rules correct.

 

[GA42sDad]

Thanks for all the input. The situation was a right hannded batter that was way up in the box. I would have to say that this is a pretty tough call for the umpire to make at times.

 

[shockcoach]

Larry Ray tells people to have their slappers place the bat down with the knob even with the corner of the plate. Then add a little more than a foot and draw your own line. Since the bat is 32"+/- and the front of the box is supposed to be 4' in front of the corner of the plate, this works well.

Larry used tell his slappers to erase the line before they did this and actually draw a new line further out in order to gain a few inches advantage. Now it's illegal to erase the line and you're called out.

 

[SBFAMILY]

My dd has worked with some of the best slappers that Larry has trained. It was the umpire. At 5" 4" she cannot step out of the box using what Larry teaches. This is only the second time it has ever been called. Bret is a very good umpire and he has watched my dd bat many times. It was someone trying to make a statement and since I was working a Bustos clinic I was lucky or I would have been tossed. He threated all the coaches there that one more comment and you are out of here. I'm more stubborn since I carry my umpire case book and would not have backed down.

 

[Comp]

The front of the box is actually only just slightly over 3' in front of the plate. The measurement is 4' from the rear corner of the plate where the taper starts.