OFFICIAL BASEBALL RULES

Rule 7.10 to 7.13Any appeal under this rule must be made before the next pitch, or any play orattempted play. If the violation occurs during a play which ends a half-inning, theappeal must be made before the defensive team leaves the field.An appeal is not to be interpreted as a play or an attempted play.Successive appeals may not be made on a runner at the same base. If the defensiveteam on its first appeal errs, a request for a second appeal on the same runner at thesame base shall not be allowed by the umpire. (Intended meaning of the word “err”is that the defensive team in making an appeal threw the ball out of play. For example,if the pitcher threw to first base to appeal and threw the ball into the stands, nosecond appeal would be allowed.)Appeal plays may require an umpire to recognize an apparent “fourth out.” If thethird out is made during a play in which an appeal play is sustained on another runner,the appeal play decision takes precedence in determining the out. If there ismore than one appeal during a play that ends a half-inning, the defense may elect totake the out that gives it the advantage. For the purpose of this rule, the defensiveteam has “left the field” when the pitcher and all infielders have left fair territory ontheir way to the bench or clubhouse.Rule 7.10 Comment: If two runners arrive at home base about the same time and the firstrunner misses home plate but a second runner legally touches the plate, the runner is tagged out on hisattempt to come back and touch the base or is called out, on appeal, then he shall be considered as havingbeen put out before the second runner scored and being the third out. Second runner’s run shall notcount, as provided in Rule 7.12.If a pitcher balks when making an appeal, such act shall be a play. An appeal should be clearlyintended as an appeal, either by a verbal request by the player or an act that unmistakably indicates anappeal to the umpire. A player, inadvertently stepping on the base with a ball in his hand, would notconstitute an appeal. Time is not out when an appeal is being made.7.11 The players, coaches or any member of a team at bat shall vacate any space (includingboth dugouts or bullpens) needed by a fielder who is attempting to field a batted orthrown ball. If a member of the team at bat (other than a runner) hinders a fielder’s attemptto catch or field a batted ball, the ball is dead, the batter is declared out and all runnersreturn to the bases occupied at the time of the pitch. If a member of the team at bat (otherthan a runner) hinders a fielder’s attempt to field a thrown ball, the ball is dead, the runneron whom the play is being made shall be declared out and all runners return to the lastlegally occupied base at the time of the interference.7.12 Unless two are out, the status of a following runner is not affected by a precedingrunner’s failure to touch or retouch a base. If, upon appeal, the preceding runner is thethird out, no runners following him shall score. If such third out is the result of a forceplay, neither preceding nor following runners shall score.7.13 COLLISIONS AT HOME PLATE.(1) A runner attempting to score may not deviate from his direct pathway to the platein order to initiate contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate), orotherwise initiate an avoidable collision. If, in the judgment of the umpire, a runnerattempting to score initiates contact with the catcher (or other player coveringhome plate) in such a manner, the umpire shall declare the runner out (regardless ofwhether the player covering home plate maintains possession of the ball). In suchcircumstances, the umpire shall call the ball dead, and all other base runners shall54