ADDENDUM TO DEAD-BALL APPEAL SITUATION FROM MAY 2, 2017
MAY 5, 2017
There have been many questions since the Dead-Ball Appeal situation was posted on May 2, 2017.
The original situation posted on May 2, 2017 was based on an A.R. issued in August 2013 (see
below). This A.R. was found to be incorrect, therefore, this addendum corrects what was published
on May 2, 2017 and A.R. 7.1.2.2.3 issued in August 2013.
Original Dead-Ball Appeal Situation – May 2, 2017:
Situation: The batter hits an out-of-the-park home run, but does not touch home plate. How does
the defense make an appeal without the ball?
Ruling: The runner can return and touch home plate as long as she has not entered the dugout. By
rule, a runner may not return to touch a missed base if she has touched the final base of her award
(see Rule 12.22.5.5), so the only base she can return to on an out-of-the-park home run is home
plate. If she has gone into the dugout, she has left the field of play and cannot return to touch the
plate (Rule 12.22.5.1). This is a dead-ball appeal. The appeal cannot be made until the ball is put
back in play (Rule 7.1.2.2.3). Handing the ball to the catcher and her throwing it to the pitcher
does not “put the ball back in play”. By rule, with the ball out of play, the defense cannot appeal a
missed base until the ball is put back in play, the defense is in position, the next batter summoned
to the batter’s box and the umpire indicates “Play Ball” (Rule 6.10.4).
A dead ball remains dead until an umpire indicates resumption of play (Rule 1.14).
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Requiring the ball to be put back in play was not correct. The ball needs to be placed
in the game by the umpire. At that time, the defense can make a verbal dead-ball
appeal to the umpire. Since the ball had gone out of play (out-of-the-park home run),
a live ball appeal (i.e., tagging the runner or the plate) cannot be made.
Corrected Dead-Ball Appeal Situation – May 5, 2017:
Situation: The batter hits an out-of-the-park home run, but does not touch home plate. How does
the defense make an appeal without the ball?
Ruling: The runner can return and touch home plate as long as she has not entered the dugout. By
rule, a runner may not return to touch a missed base if she has touched the final base of her award
(see Rule 12.22.5.5), so the only base she can return to on an out-of-the-park home run is home
plate. If she has gone into the dugout, she has left the field of play and cannot return to touch the
plate (Rule 12.22.5.1). This is a dead-ball appeal. The appeal cannot be made until the ball is put
back into the game by an umpire (Rule 7.1.2.2.3). Once the umpire places a new ball into the game,
any fielder (with or without the ball) may ask the umpire to make a decision on the appeal of not
touching home plate. Since this is a dead-ball appeal, touching home plate or tagging the runner
cannot be made (those procedures are allowed for a live-ball appeal only – Rule 7.1.2.1.1).
Physically Assisting the Runner:
12.8 Runner Is Out
12.8.3 When a coach or anyone other than another runner who has not yet crossed the plate
physically assist her while she is actively running the bases and the ball is in play.
Even though a coach "assisted" the runner to return to touch home plate, the runner had crossed
the plate, she was not actively running the bases, and the ball was not in play. It was a dead ball as
a result of the out-of-the-park home run.
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Additionally, A.R. 7.1.2.2.3 issued in August 2013, is incorrect and has been amended below:
A.R.7.1.2.2.3 (August 2013): Bottom of the seventh inning of a tied game with no one on base
and no one out. The batter hits an out-of-the-park home run but misses home plate. She accepts
her teammate’s congratulations at the plate and then creates the line to shake hands with her
opponents without ever leaving the field. As the defensive players begin walking in to the infield
to shake hands, the defensive coach tells the first baseman to tell her teammates to stay on the field
and get a ball from the umpire. Hearing this, the offensive coach knows they are going to appeal a
missed base so she has her player run the bases in reverse order and then the proper order which
she does before the defense was able to make the dead ball appeal. Is there anything the defense
can do to appeal without tipping off the offense?
RULING: By rule, a runner may not return to touch a missed base if she has touched the final
base of her award (see Rule 12.22.5.5) so the only base she can return to on an out-of-the-park
home run is home plate. In this case, the offensive head coach is obviously unaware of the rule
and unsure of which base was missed so the player is directed to touch all bases in reverse order
and then the proper order.
At the moment the runner touches home plate as the beginning of her run to touch the bases in
reverse order, the umpire could declare her safe and prevent the rest of her run around the bases.
But if that does not happen and the runner proceeds, there is no penalty.
By rule, with the ball out of play, the defense cannot appeal a missed base until the ball is
put back in the game. But since this was a game ending play, the reality is the runner will
usually be able to return to touch home plate before the defense can properly make a dead
ball appeal.