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BATTER UP!By: Merle Butler

Understanding what can or cannot be done with the bat in the fastpitch game takes some study and interpretation of the rules. Thebatter can bunt, slap, and even hit the ball with the knob.

When discarding a bat, the bat cannot hit the ball, but the ball can hitthe bat.

A batter can swing at a pitch one time legally, but if they hit the ball onthe back swing, a foul ball should be ruled. When hitting the ball asecond time, a foul ball should be ruled if the batter is in the batter’s

box, but ruled out if the batter is out of the batter’s box when contact is made.

A batter is awarded first base if hit on the fingers, however if those same fingers are on thebat when hit and the batter swung at the pitch (and the pitched ball hits the fingers) it is adead ball and a strike, even if the ball rolls to fair territory.

BUNTA bunt is defined as a “legally tapped ball not swung at, but intentionally met with the bat andtapped slowly within the infield.” Is it a bunt and a strike if the batter puts the bat over theplate and doesn’t move the bat, as the pitch crosses the plate? NO! It’s not a strike if thebatter doesn’t swing or move the bat towards the pitch, and the ball isn’t in the strike zone. Ifthe ball is in the strike zone, it would be a called strike. Good mechanics to follow when abatter moves the bat toward a pitch is to point at the batter, verbally state, “You went for it,”and signal a strike. If the batter doesn’t move the bat and the ball is out of the strike zone,only a ball is called.

SLAP HITThe intent of the slap hit is to punch or slap the ball over a charging defensive player. Themajority of the time it is made from the left-handed batter’s box, with the batter running upon the pitch.

If the slap hit goes foul on a third strike, is the batter out? NO! However, if the infield flysituation is in effect and a slap hit can be caught with ordinary effort, it should be ruled aninfield fly. If the slap hit turns into a line drive, no infield fly can be ruled.

Umpires must also determine whether the batter goes for the pitched ball or if he/she pulls thebat back when they run up on the pitch. If the bat is pulled back and the pitched ball is out ofthe strike zone, only a ball is called.

THROWING BAT AT A PITCHCan a batter throw the bat at a pitched ball? YES, and whenever this occurs, a strike should becalled if the ball is not contacted. If the ball is contacted, treat the hit as any other bunted ball,for it is “intentionally met with the bat and tapped slowly within the infield.”

If the bat doesn’t make contact with the ball, there’s another consideration - was the catchermaking a play on a runner and did the discarded bat prevent him/her from making the play? Ifin the umpire’s judgment it did, then interference should be ruled. If contact is made with thediscarded bat, there would be no interference.

INTENTRemember, when the bat leaves a batter’s hand, intent is ruled. This is the very reason thatwhen a discarded bat hits a batted ball a second time over fair territory an out is recorded foran “illegally batted ball.”

However, it isn’t considered intent if the bat is on the ground and a ball rolls against it. Theumpire should either (a) rule foul immediately if the bat was over foul territory when the ballhit it, or (b) rule fair if the bat is over fair ground when the ball hits it and the ball remains in fairterritory.

HITTING THE BALL A SECOND TIMEThe determination of fair/foul or out/safe is based on the position of the batter’s feet at thetime of second contact. The same is true of a batted ball hitting the ground and bouncing intothe batter-runner. Did the ball hit the batter while in the batter’s box or out of the box? If onlyone foot was in the batter’s box and that was the foot hit, a foul ball is ruled, yet if the batter-runner has one foot over fair territory on his/her way to first base, and that is the foot or leg

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