1. Western Piedmont Baseball
Rule 8
Baserunning

2. Rule 8 Baserunning: Batter Becomes Runner
A batter becomes a runner when he hits a fair ball, he is charged with a third strike that is not caught, an IBB is awarded or a fourth ball is called by the umpire, a pitched ball hits his person or clothing (no swing), the catcher or any other defensive player obstructs him.
Obstruction of batter: When obstruction is called, the coach or captain may elect to decline the obstruction penalty and take the result of the play. This must be done before the next pitch (legal or illegal), before IBB is awarded or before infielders cross foul line. Obstruction is ignored if batter reaches first base and all other runners advance at least one base. Any runner attempting to advance (steal or squeeze) on obstruction is awarded base he is attempting. If not attempting to advance, he is not entitled to next base unless forced. If obstruction is enforced, all other runners return to base occupied at TOP. Batter is awarded first, if not reached. If obstruction is not enforced, runners may advance at own risk.

3. Rule 8 Baserunning: Advancing, Returning
Advancing runner must touch bases in order, including awarded bases.
Returning runner must retouch bases in reverse order unless uncaught foul ball.
Advancing runner who misses a base may not return to touch it after a following runner has scored, he has left the field of play or if the ball becomes dead and the runner is on or beyond a succeeding base.
If a fair or foul ball is caught, each base runner must touch his base after the ball has touched a fielder. (Tag up)

4. Rule 8 Baserunning: Appeals
For failure to touch a base (advancing or returning) or for leaving a base on a caught fly ball before it is touched, the runner may be called out on appeal by the defense.
Appeals may be made during live or dead ball.
Live ball appeals may be made by any fielder in possession of the ball by touching the base missed or left too soon or by tagging the runner committing the violation if he is on the playing field. Must be done before the next pitch (legal or illegal), granted IBB, or before the next defensive play or attempted play. If offense initiates play, defense does not lose right to appeal.

5. Rule 8 Baserunning: Appeals
Dead ball appeals may be made once all runners have completed advance and “Time” has been called. A coach or player, with or without the ball, may verbally appeal. If ball has gone out of play, runners must be given opportunity to complete baserunning responsibilities. Must be done before the next pitch (legal or illegal), granted IBB, at end of inning before P and all infielders have crossed foul line, on last play of game before umpires leave field of play.
Runners may advance during live ball appeal. If “Time” is requested for appeal, runners may not advance until ball becomes live again.
Multiple appeals are allowed.

6. Rule 8 Baserunning: Appeals
Appeals must be honored even if base missed was before or after an award.
If a runner leaves too soon and attempts to retag, this is considered a time play and not a force out. If the appeal is the third out, all runs scored in advance of the appeal would count.
An appeal may be made after the third out as long as it is made properly and would result in an apparent fourth out.
If baserunning infraction is the third out, runs scored by following runners would not count. With two outs, if the base missed is the first to which the batter or runner was forced, no runs would score.
If a runner touches a base that was missed (advancing or returning), the last time he was by the base, it corrects any previous infraction.

7. Rule 8 Baserunning: Right to Base
A batter-runner who reaches first base safely and overruns or overslides may return immediately without liability of being put out provided he does not attempt or feint an advance to second. A player who is awarded first on a base on balls does not have this right.
Runner acquires right to base if he touches it before he is out. He then is entitled to the base until he is put out or he reaches the next base or until a following runner is forced to advance to the base he has occupied. A runner need not vacate a base to permit a fielder to catch a fly ball in the infield, but he may not interfere.
If two runners occupy the same base at the same time and both are tagged, the following runner is out. On a force play, the runner who is forced is out when tagged or the base to which he is forced is tagged by a fielder with the ball.

8. Rule 8 Baserunning: Right to Base
Each runner must touch his base after ball becomes dead. All awarded bases must be touched in order. Runner returns to base he had reached or passed when ball becomes dead. If interference is called, a runner returns to the base he had reached at time of interference. If interference does not cause batter to be out and any other runner cannot return to the base last occupied, he is advanced to the next base.
Runner returns to the base occupied at TOP if his advance is during an uncaught foul ball.

9. Rule 8 Baserunning: Awards & Outs
Batter-Runner awarded first: four balls called or IBB, pitched ball hits his person or clothing (no swing), catcher or another fielder obstructs him, his fair hit (not infield fly) becomes dead and a preceding runner or retired runner does not interfere thus causing a potential double play
Base Runner Awards: see chart p. 49
When plate umpire hinders, impedes or prevents a catcher’s throw attempting to prevent a stolen base or retire a runner on a pickoff play, if an out is not made at the end of the catcher’s initial throw, the ball shall be dead and all runners shall return to the bases occupied at the time of the interference.
Runner is out when he/his: intentionally interferes with catcher's attempt to field ball after third strike, his hit (fair or foul) is caught by a fielder (or spectator interference occurs), fair fly, line drive, bunt is intentionally dropped with at least first occupied and before two outs (dead ball, runners return), intentionally contacts the ball (fair or foul) with the bat a second time (dead ball, runners return), third strike is caught (or not caught and first occupied with less than two outs),

10. Rule 8 Baserunning: Outs
Runner is out: If the ball held by any fielder touches the batter or the fielder with the ball in his possession touches first base before the batter-runner touches it after a dropped third strike or grounded fair hit, runs outside the three foot running lane (ignored if it does not interfere with play), interferes in a way which obviously hinders an obvious double play, on third strike, he gives up by entering bench or dugout, with two outs, he does not attempt to reach first before all infielders cross the foul line, hits and infield fly and the IFR is in effect, enters the game as illegal substitute and is discovered, runs more than three feet away from a line (between the runner and the base to which he is advancing) he establishes when a play is being made on him, does not legally slide and causes illegal contact or alters the fielder's attempt to make a play, does not attempt to avoid a fielder in the act of making a play on him, dives over a fielder,

11. Rule 8 Baserunning: Outs
Runner is out if he: Initiates malicious contact, intentionally interferes with a throw or thrown ball, hinders a fielder on his initial attempt to field a batted ball, is touched by a live ball or ball in the glove securely held by a fielder while not touching a base, fails to reach the next base after being forced to run before being tagged out or the base touched by a fielder holding the ball (except when a following runner is put out first), is contacted by a fair batted ball before it touches an infielder or after it passes an infielder (except pitcher) and umpire judges that another fielder has a play, attempts to advance to home and batter interferes with the play with less than two outs, passes an unobstructed preceding runner before such runner is out, runs bases in reverse order, positions himself behind a base to get a running start,

12. Rule 8 Baserunning: Outs
Runner is out if he: After at least touching first, leaves the baseline and abandons his effort to touch the next base, is on or beyond a succeeding base when the ball is declared dead after leaving a base too soon on a caught fly ball, failed to touch a base, continues and touches a succeeding base after ball has become dead and the defense properly appeals, deliberately knocks the ball from a fielder's hand, is physically assisted by a coach.

13. Rule 8 Baserunning: Not Out
A batter-runner is not out if: infielder permits a fair fly, line drive or bunt to drop untouched to the ground, he is in the batter's box and the bat hits the ball a second time (foul ball), he is outside the three foot running lane to avoid a fielder attempting to field a batted ball.
A runner is not out if he: runs more than three feet out of the baseline behind a fielder to avoid him and he is in the runner's proper path, slides in a direction away from a fielder to avoid making contact or altering the play, jumps, hurdles or leaps to avoid a fielder lying on the ground, contacts a fielder after the fielder misplays the ball, dislodges a base from its fastening, fielder juggles ball after touching runner, is touching his base when hit by an infield fly.