Baseball drew more than 16 million fans in 2009. Many rules on interaction have been set in place not only for fans, but for players and umpires as well. If these rules are broken, the penalties can vary from a verbal warning to being arrested and prosecuted. It's important to understand and follow these rules regardless of your role at the ballpark.
Fans
Official baseball rules state that if a fan touches a ball at any point, that ball is immediately ruled out of play. The only exception being if the fan is reaching over into the field of play from an outfield wall, the ball will be considered either a home run, or ground-rule double, depending on that parks rules and the umpire's decision. If a spectator interferes with a ball that clearly would have been caught by a player, the umpire can rule the batter as being out. If a fan enters the field of play at any point, he will ejected, and it is then at the leagues discretion to arrest and prosecute the individual.
Players
If a player touches an umpire at any point during a game, the umpire has the authority to eject the player from the game. That player will also risk the penalty of suspension and a potential fine from the league. Only players, substitutes, managers, coaches, trainers, bat boys and people on the disabled list may be in the dugout. If a person leaves the dugout without proper cause, the umpire must first issue a warning, which can then potentially be followed by ejection. Interference with a live ball by a person in the dugout is also not allowed, and can result in ejection by an umpire.
On the Field
Only players in uniform, managers, coaches, police, photographers and umpires are allowed on the field. If any one of these people touches the ball intentionally, the ball is dead. However, if any one of these people attempts to avoid the ball and it still touches them, the ball is still live. The home team must provide adequate police protection from outside dangers. If a person or persons enter the field, they must be cleared within 15 minutes. If they are not cleared within this allotted time, the umpire may force the home team to forfeit and award the visiting team a win.
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