High school baseball will add a double first base for the 2027 season in an effort to minimize player collisions.
As a result of the National Federation of High School Associations requiring a double first base to minimize the risk of collisions between runners and fielders, a change is coming to high school baseball for the 2027 season — one that some area coaches are embracing.
“Any time we can impact player safety and make the game safer without fundamentally changing it too much, I think that’s a good thing,” New Albany coach Michael Sandman said. “I was on the state board for the last couple years, and they said it was likely coming. I think there have been rumblings about it. I don’t think anybody will be too caught off guard.”
The rule was proposed by the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee during its annual meeting June 8-10 and announced July 8 by the NFHS Board of Directors.
First base measures 18 inches on each side.
The double base must be white in fair territory and colored on the foul side with no space between.
A ball is fair if its crosses any of the white portion of the base, and foul if it crosses the colored half.
“Adding the double first base is symbolic to the evolution of the sport,” Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee, said in the announcement. “It will immediately address running lane violations, and it will further protect the players from the violent collisions that have occurred at first base. By reducing collisions and enhancing safety, it preserves both the integrity of competition and the well-being of those who play.”
OHSAA director of communications Tim Stried said the double first base will be required in Ohio.
Major League Baseball in 2023 enlarged all bases from 15 inches on each side to 18, both for safety reasons and to increase the probability of stolen bases.
DeSales coach Tom Neubert said he would welcome the addition of a wider bag, both to avoid collisions and reduce the number of runners leaving the base path to try to reach first safely.
He cited an instance from the 2012 Division II state final against Wapakoneta, when Derek Traini was called out to negate a potential two-run hit. The Stallions won anyway, 3-2, to repeat as champions.
“If I bunt the ball and run to first base, first base itself is out of the baseline so if I step toward first base to go touch the base and the ball hits me, I’m automatically out,” Neubert said. “(Traini) went to touch the base, the ball went off his leg and he was called out because he was out of the baseline. That rule itself makes no sense. You can’t get to the base without going out of the baseline. It’s happened so many times. …
“I’ve been waiting for a double first base for a while just because of that rule alone. I am not worried about the collisions as much because you can have collisions at any base, but first base is the most because you have a first baseman standing stagnant at the bag.”
According to the NFHS, interference would be called on a runner if they touch only the white portion on a force play at first and collide with the fielder. Similarly, obstruction is called on a defensive player if they touch only the colored portion of the base and collide with the runner.
High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at [email protected] and at @dp_dispatch on X.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: High school baseball to adopt double first base in 2027
Category: General Sports
