Can a bounced pitch be a called strike?
No. A called strike has to pass through the zone in flight, so once the pitch touches the ground, it can't be called a strike, even if it hops through the middle. Swinging at it is another story.
A called strike has to go through the zone in flight, and a pitch that bounces first can’t be one. It doesn’t matter where it goes next. It could hop up belt-high down the middle, and it’s still a ball if the batter doesn’t swing.
Say a pitch bounces a foot in front of the plate, hops up through the zone, and the catcher frames it. The umpire calls it a ball.
He’s right, and there’s no judgment in it. But try telling that to the pitcher’s dad, who is now explaining the strike zone to the backstop.
The bounce takes away the called strike, but it doesn’t take away the swing. If the batter goes after it and misses, it’s a strike, and if he fouls it off, it’s a foul ball. He can hit it, too.
Strike three in the dirt. By rule, a bounced pitch can’t be caught, even if the catcher gloves it cleanly on the hop. That means a swinging strike three on a bounced pitch is always a dropped third strike. If first base is open (or there are two outs), the batter can run. Do your players know that? Far too often, they walk back to the dugout with the bat on their shoulder.
Catchers, this one is on you. Block it, then look at the batter. If he’s running, throw to first, and if he’s walking away, tag him anyway!
So where does the argument come from? It’s usually the framing. A catcher who sticks a bounced pitch makes it look like a strike, and the people on the pitcher’s side see the glove, not the dirt. The umpire saw the dirt, because it’s the part of the pitch that’s right in front of him.
Which rulebook? Official Baseball Rules, definition of a ball: a pitch that does not enter the strike zone in flight and is not struck at by the batter. A bounced pitch isn't in flight, so untouched it's a ball. NFHS and Little League match. Swinging at it is a strike under all three.
A pitch bounces a foot in front of the plate and hops right through the middle of the zone. The batter doesn’t swing. Ball or strike?
Still have a question? Ask Coach Fungo.
“If it bounced, it's a ball unless he swings. I don't care how good it looked in the catcher's glove.”
Fake to third, throw to first: is it a balk?
The move every player has seen on TV is a balk in pro ball and USSSA, but it's still legal in high school, Little League and the Perfect Game youth sheets. I'd find out which rulebook you're playing under before you teach it.
“If the other team's pitcher pulls this move on your runner, you'd better know whether it's legal that day.”
Can a runner interfere without making contact?
Yes. A runner who makes a fielder stop, slow down, go around him or lose the ball because he was in the way has interfered, touch or no touch. On a batted ball, it doesn't even have to be on purpose.
“He didn't have to touch the shortstop. If the shortstop had to play around your runner, that's interference.”
The rules quiz
Ten questions, two minutes. Would you have gotten the call right?
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