BATTING OUT OF ORDER
1. When is the appeal made?
a. If the appeal is made too soon: The proper batter takes his place in the box and assumes the count, if any.
b. If the appeal is made too late: No penalty: Play continues without reference to the infraction.
c. If the appeal is made just right (after the batter finishes his turn at bat but before a pitch to either team, play, attempted play, intentional walk): Impose the penalty.
2. Who appeals?
a. While an improper batter is at the plate, the defense.
b. After the improper batter has completed his at bat, only the defense may appeal the infraction.
c. Only an appeal by the defense can ever result in the proper batter being called out.
3. Who is out?
a. The PROPER batter is always out. The improper batter is never out.
4. Who stays put and who advances?
a. All advances by runners made as a result of the actions of the improper batter (base on balls, hit batsman, base hit, fly ball tag up, ground out, sacrifice bunt, error) are void. After a successful defensive appeal; runners must return to the bases occupied at the time the improper batter stepped into the batter’s box and the ball was made alive.
b. Runners who advance on their own (balk, wild pitch, passed ball, stolen base) while the improper batter is at-bat, keep their new bases.
c. Example: R1 steals second and advances to third on an improper batter’s ground out to the second baseman. After a successful appeal, R1 returns to second. He must give up his advance on B1's batted ball, but he keeps his stolen base.
5. Who bats next?
a. The new proper batter is the batter whose name follows the name of the batter called out. (The prior proper batter)
6. What are the special considerations?
a. When the penalty is invoked, the improper batter is always removed from base or has his out canceled.
b. Any outs made while the improper batter is hitting or as a result of actions by him stand.
Play 1: R1 is thrown out stealing while improper batter Able is hitting. After Able walks, the defense appeals. Ruling: The proper batter is out. Able is removed from base. R1 remains out.
Play 2: R1. Improper batter Able hits into a 6-4 force out. The defense appeals properly. Ruling: R1 is out (on the play), and the proper batter is out. Able is removed from base.
Note: In OBR and NCAA games after a successful appeal, only the proper batter is out. Other outs made on the play are canceled. See Point 7 for full details.
c. An out for batting out of order always supersedes an out made by the improper
batter.
Play 3: R1. Improper batter Able hits into a 6-4-3 double play.
The defense appeals properly. Ruling: R1 is out (on the play), and the proper batter is out on appeal.
d. If a proper batter is on base, there is no penalty: He is skipped; the proper batter is now the player in the line-up who follows the batter skipped.
7. Does this FED batting-out-of-order rule differ from the OBR?
a. Yes. In the OBR (and NCAA) when the defense appeals, the umpire will cancel any outs made as a result of action by the improper batter.
Play 4: OBR/NCAA rules only. R2 moving on the pitch. B1 hits to the shortstop, who throws to third where R2 is tagged out as improper batter Able is safe at first. The defense appeals properly. Ruling: The proper batter is out. R2's out is canceled and he is returned to second.
