Is it a hit by pitch if the ball bounces first?
A pitch is still a pitch after it bounces. If it hits the batter and he wasn't swinging and tried to avoid it, he takes first, and if he swung at it, it's a strike.
A breaking ball that bounces in front of the plate and catches the hitter on the shin starts more arguments than it should. Someone in the other dugout yells, “It bounced! That’s not a hit by pitch!”
But it is. It’s still a pitch, and it HIT him.
A pitch that touches the batter is a hit by pitch, and the rule doesn’t care how the ball got to him — in the air, on one hop or off the plate. If he wasn’t swinging and he made some effort to get out of the way, he takes first. It’s a dead ball. Runners move up only if they’re forced.
The usual exceptions still apply. If he swung at it, it’s a strike, not a hit by pitch. If he made no attempt to avoid it, the umpire can keep him at the plate and call it a ball. Those are here. But the strike-zone exception can’t apply. A bounced pitch is never in the zone, because it isn’t in flight.
What if the ball kicks all the way to the backstop after it hits him? It’s still a dead ball, so the runners don’t advance. The batter goes to first, and everyone else stays unless they’re pushed.
Why this comes up. The same pitch is a ball if it misses him and a strike if he swings at it. Many of us lump “bounced pitch” into one rule in our heads. There are actually three… It can’t be a called strike. It can be hit. And if it hits the batter, he takes first.
With hitters, I’d point out that the pitch in the dirt is coming at their feet. If they turn and take it on the calf, that’s a base. If they jump over it, it’s a ball, and they’re still standing there.
Which rulebook? Official Baseball Rules 5.05(b)(2): the batter is awarded first when touched by a pitched ball he isn't swinging at, provided he tries to avoid it. The Definitions of Terms, 'Ball,' and its Comment: a pitch that touches the ground before the plate and then touches the batter is a hit by pitch, and he takes first. NFHS and Little League read it the same way.
A breaking ball bounces in front of the plate and skips up into the batter’s shin. He wasn’t swinging, and he tried to get out of the way. What’s the call?
Still have a question? Ask Coach Fungo.
“A pitch in the dirt that skips up and hits him still gets him first base.”
The infield fly rule, explained for parents
The batter is out the moment the umpire calls it, whether the ball is caught or not. If it drops, the runners can stay where they are or advance at their own risk.
“With fewer than two outs and runners on first and second, listen for the umpire on any pop-up in the infield.”
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.
“If it bounced, it's a ball unless he swings. I don't care how good it looked in the catcher's glove.”
The rules quiz
Ten questions, two minutes. Would you have gotten the call right?
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