Baseball Rules For When A Pitched Ball Hits Home Plate

Baseball Rules for When a Pitched Ball Hits Home Plate

Jul 10, 2010 | By Steve Silverman

A ball that hits home plate is in play. The umpire does not have to stop play, advance runners or send runners back to their original bases when a pitch hits home plate. When the ball hits home plate, it is up to the catcher to block the pitch and keep it in front of him. If he can't, runners can advance on the base paths.

Runners May Advance

If the ball hits home plate, runners on base may advance at their own risk. "The ball is not dead," says former minor league and NCAA umpire Art Singer. "The ball remains in play until it is back in the pitcher's hand and the pitcher requests time." A ball that bounces off home plate is likely to bounce in an unpredictable manner, and it is up to the catcher to find a way to block the ball to keep it from skipping away and going to the backstop. The ball remains in play and runners can get as many bases as they can reach when a pitch hits home plate.

Swinging at the Pitch

In Major League Baseball, many pitchers throw breaking balls that dip or dive dramatically. Often, batters swing at pitches that end up in the dirt. A batter is given no relief if he swings at a pitch that ends up glancing off home plate. If the batter swings at a pitch and misses and it hits the plate, it is a strike. If he does this with two strikes, he strikes out. On a third strike in which the pitched ball hits home plate, and if first base is not occupied, the batter can take off for first base and if the catcher does not tag him or throw him out, he is safe at first.

Ball Strikes Umpire

If a pitched ball ends up bouncing off the plate and inadvertently strikes the umpire, the ball remains in play. A batted ball that strikes an umpire remains in play, and so does a pitched ball. When a ball hits the plate and strikes the umpire, it may bounce back into the field of play or right to the catcher. If a base runner takes off and tries to advance, the catcher--or any other fielder--may pick it up and attempt to throw out the runner. If he is successful, the runner is out. There is no relief because the ball hit the plate and bounced off the umpire. The umpire is part of the field of play in this case and players advance at their own risk.