Umpires Undermined by Rule Committee Apathy

45 Foot Running Lane

The forty-five-foot running lane, begins half way between home plate and first base, then ends at first base. It is completely in foul ground. Even the description of the forty-five-foot running lane is confusing. I consider the official rulings regarding the forty-five-foot running lane as some of the most overly simplistic and frequently misinterpreted rules in baseball.

If you’re reading this book, it is a pretty good chance you saw the play in the 2019 World Series where with two outs the batter-runner Cody Bellinger ran the entire distance to first base in fair territory, the catcher’s throw was to the inside of the bag, batter-runner collided with and the first-baseman’s arm / glove and the ball ended up in right field allowing a run to score and no Running Lane Violation called. The next batter up followed with a three-run homer.

Months before the World Series non-call, I watched a play where a batter-runner hit a soft bouncer to the pitcher. The batter-runner was one-third the way down the running lane, with both of his feet clearly in fair-ground, clearly not in the forty-five-foot running lane. The batter-runner then runs full speed into the pitcher who holds the ball while tagging the batter-runner, while completely standing over fair ground. For all intent and purpose, clearly a running lane violation.

Umpires ruled obstruction and awarded the batter-runner first base. They stated the first baseman who was attempting to play the ball alongside the pitcher, was blocking the batter-runners path in the running lane. In reality neither of the defensive players or the batter-runner were ever inside the running lane during the playing action.

 It may seem like I’m committing the cardinal sin of bagging on fellow umpires, but you are wrong. I’m bagging on the rule language provided as the one and only resource umpires have to make rulings. The rule language for the Running Lane Violation is some the most limited and wishy-washy in baseball. There are official rule committees that oversee the baseball rule language, their inability to produce clear and precise rule language perpetuates this problem

Referee Magazine - NFHS article “Nine Rules You Thought You Knew”

proclaims the forty-five foot running lane violation is to protect the defense from being screened while making a play and goes on to state if the ball is not fielded in the plate area and thrown down the line to first base the forty-five-foot running lane doesn’t matter. Mind you, none of this language is in the official NFHS rule book pertaining to a forty-five-foot running lane violation.

Again, here we have an official rule committee that oversees high school baseball rule language, their inability to produce clear and precise rule language perpetuates this problem.  I could be way off base (no pun intended), but another line of thought regarding the forty-five-foot running lane, it’s for both safety and as an interference protection. Intended to provide a safe running lane for the batter-runner and at the same time protect defensive players from interference by a runner going at full speed.  

The one sure thing I can take away from forty-five foot running lane violation is that it does not happen often, but when it does happen its frequently misinterpreted. This is a perfect example of when rule language fails to give a clear and definitive meaning, it causes arbitrary, confusing or worse no ruling at all.