Baseball Common Penalties (2024)

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In baseball, there are certain unacceptable actions that can result in various in-game consequences, including ejection. Read on to learn about the various penalties in baseball and which actions and violations cause them.

• Penalties
• Types of Penalties
• Charging the Mound
• Interference
• Unsportsmanlike Conduct
• Obstruction
• Equipment Violations
• FAQ

Penalties

In baseball, a penalty is assessed when any player breaks the rules of the sports as defined in the rulebook for the league.Penalties can result in an out, a base runner earning a base, or even an ejection from the game. The umpires are responsible for calling penalties on players and coaches during a game.

Types of Penalties

While uncommon, baseball players sometimes commit actions that are more dangerous or severe than simply forgetting to tag a base. These actions result in penalties that might even lead to a player or coach being ejected from the game. There are quite a few types of penalties that exist in baseball. We’ll cover each one and explain the result of each penalty.

• Charging the Mound
• Interference
• Unsportsmanlike Conduct
• Obstruction

Charging the Mound

Charging the mound occurs when a batter approaches the pitcher during or after their at-bat, often to initiate an attack or fight.Charging the mound commonly happens if a batter is hit or almost hit by a pitch and thinks it was on purpose. Bench-clearing brawls (fights in which members from both teams leave the dugout to fight on the field) are usually started after a batter charges the mound. Umpires have the discernment about who to penalize and what their penalty is. In incidents where a batter charges the mound, the most common offenders to be ejected are the pitcher, batter, manager of the pitcher’s team, and any particularly heinous participants in the case of a particularly rough fight.

Interference

Interference occurs when a person, either a coach, player, or fan, illegally disrupts the ability of the fielding team to perform theirduties.This can happen if the base runner gets in the way of a thrown ball or if a spectator catches a ball over the wall that an outfielder may have otherwise caught. Interferences vary in degrees of severity, and different rules decide the penalty for different kinds of interference.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct

Unsportsmanlike conduct covers many actions from players and coaches that are not allowed. The punishment for acts of unsportsmanlike conduct varies. Some actions that qualify as unsportsmanlike conduct include the following:

• Inciting or trying to incite a specific response from spectators.
• Purposely committing any action with the intent of making the pitcher balk.
• Purposely make physical contact with the umpire.
• For fielders, intentionally obscuring the batter's line of vision or attempting to distract them.
• Not immediately leaving the field or dugout after being ejected from the game.
• Continuing to overtly express disapproval of the umpire's decisions, even after the umpire has given them a warning.

Obstruction

Obstruction is a similar penalty to interference, except it is called on the fielding team.If they interfere with the baserunner in a way that prevents them from staying on the basepath or getting to a base, they will be called for obstruction. The most common obstruction is when a fielding player gets in between a runner and the base before they have the ball to tag them out. If they interrupt the runner, they will be called for obstruction.

Equipment Violations

Baseball has a wide variety of equipment violations that can result in ejection and other outside punishment. The various types of equipment violations include:

• Tampered bats
• Foreign substances on balls
• Pine tar limits

Tampered Bats

In the past, some MLB batters have been caught filling their bats with substances such as cork in order to manufacture more power and hit the ball farther. Tampering with a bat is a very serious offense that can result in ejection and suspension if the player is caught.For example, Sammy Sosa was caught with a bat filled with cork in 2003 and was suspended for eight games.

Foreign Substances on Balls

Using sticky substances on baseballs as a pitcher is a hot topic in the game of baseball today, and has been for decades. Pitchers often use foreign substances on baseballs to improve their grip on the ball, which allows them to throw breaking balls more effectively. Since the 2021 season, Major League Baseball has been cracking down on doctored balls. As part of this initiative, MLB pitchers caught using foreign substances on baseballs will receive a ten-game suspension.Pitchers have their hands and gloves checked for sticky substances after each inning as a way to ensure that cheating does not go unnoticed.

Pine Tar Limit

One of the more obscure and bizarre rules in baseball is the limit on pine tar being used on one’s bat. Pine tar is often used by pro baseball players in order to help improve their grip while swinging. However, there are rules in place that disallow batter from placing pine tar more than 18 inches high on their bat handle.This rule very rarely comes into play, but did once reach national news in 1983 when George Brett of the Kansas City Royals had a go-ahead run retracted in a game against the Yankees after his bat was deemed to have pine tar placed too high up on the bat.

FAQ

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Pages Related to Baseball Common Penalties

• Baseball Designated Runner Rule
• Baseball Defense
• Baseball Checked Swings
• Baseball Coach Interference Rules
• Baseball Catcher Interference Rule
• Baseball Designated Hitter Rules

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