if i hit a home run over the fence, run around bases and dont touch home, the umpire hands a new ball to the catcher and she tags me am i out

by chris
(ossining ny)

Chris asked: Hit a home run over fence - I don't step on home, the umpire handed the catcher a ball then she tags me.

Am I out?

Rick answered: Chris, thank you for your question.

Once you have hit the ball over an outfield fence and into the stands, that entitles you to a home run, when you have touched all bases legally.

The ball in this situation becomes dead and no bases may be run and no runs may be scored, except that runners may advance one or more bases as the result of acts which occurred while the ball was alive ( such as a home run, or other fair balls hit out of the playing field.)

The umpire should have given you the time to travel around the bases and touch them all. Umpires should be looking for that to happen.

When the umpire handed the ball to the catcher, it is still not a live ball. It becomes live when the pitcher receives the ball and steps on the rubber, and the umpire says play ball, or gestures to the pitcher that it is live. Then the ball is live.

You cannot be called out when the ball is dead.

If you fail to touch home plate and go all the way into the dugout, it could be considered abandoning your right to run the bases, but that is generally a call made on a runner at first base.

Being tagged with a dead ball situation would not cause you to be out. If you step on home plate prior to the new ball becoming live, you should be safe.


Yours in baseball/softball,

Rick