NCAA 5-16 Fight Rule

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NCAA 5-16 Fight Rule

Fight Rule

SECTION 16. The rules committee believes there is no place in college baseball for physical abuse of officials or fighting among opponents. A fight rule penalizes offending team representatives (e.g., players, coaches, athletic trainers, managers) for physical abuse or fighting. However, coaches must understand that they are responsible for the actions of their players. Cooperation is needed from players, coaches, administrators and game officials to prevent fighting and physical abuse. The penalties for this rule must be enforced during both fall and spring baseball competition. When applying this rule, penalties shall carry over from fall to spring, and from regular-season to postseason competition, and from past season to the upcoming season. Further, suspended player(s) shall be prohibited from any communication or contact, direct or indirect, with the team, coaches and/or bench personnel from the start of the contest to its completion — including all extra innings.

a. Fighting—Any physical abuse of an opponent, including attempting to strike with the arms, hands, legs, feet or equipment in a combative manner, or intentionally spitting at an opponent.

b. Physical Abuse of Game Officials or Umpires—Any threat of physical intimidation or harm to include pushing, shoving, contact, kicking dirt on an umpire, spitting, spraying, throwing at or attempting to make physical contact.

PENALTY for a. and b.—If a player, coach or team representative is ejected from a contest because of physically abusing an umpire or fighting an opponent, the following shall be enforced:

(1) For the first offense by an individual, ejection plus suspension from the team’s next four contests.

(2) For a second offense by an individual in the same season, ejection plus suspension from the team’s next five contests.

(3) For a third offense by an individual in the same season, ejection and suspension for the remainder of the season, including postseason competition.

c. Team Personnel Leaving Position—Team personnel leaving their position to participate in a physical confrontation (e.g., pushing, shoving, bumping) or a fight (see 5-16-a) shall include players, coaches, athletic trainers and managers.

The position of various team members is determined by where the individual is located (e.g., dugout, bullpen, coaching box, on base, at bat, defensive position) at the time a confrontational situation develops.

PENALTY—(1) All team personnel, including coaches, who leave their positions and participate in a fight shall be ejected and suspended for the team’s next four contests.

Note 1: A player involved in a fight while remaining at the position on the field and judged to have been acting in self-defense and not contributing to the fight shall not be ejected or suspended.

Note 2: If a player or coach makes physical contact with another player in an obvious attempt to prevent a fight or confrontation, that individual shall not be ejected or suspended.

2) A batter or runner who initiates a fight by charging or pursuing the pitcher shall receive a four-game suspension.

3) A pitcher who leaves the pitcher’s mound and initiates a fight shall receive a four-game suspension.

4) If a fight occurs while other players are involved in a play (i.e., run-down play, back-up situation, etc.), those nearby or backing up the play must not become physically involved as this will constitute a violation of this rule. The penalty is ejection and a four-game suspension. Umpires may use video footage, if available, to correctly identify persons who were involved in a fight. This review should occur immediately after the incident.

Note 1: If a confrontation or fight develops, the head coach and assistant coaches are expected to leave their positions to bring their players under control. Coaches should not involve themselves in physically restraining personnel from an opposing team.

Note 2: If serving multiple suspensions from a fight would cause a school difficulty in fielding a team for its next game or games, the institution may request that the suspensions be staggered by the conference office. If the team is independent, the secretary-rules editor may be contacted for this purpose.

5) The penalty for a second offense of this rule is suspension for the remainder of the season, including postseason competition.

d. Pitcher Intentionally Throwing at a Batter—If a pitcher is ejected for intentionally throwing at a batter, the following penalties shall be enforced (see 9-2-g provisions):

1) For the first offense by the individual, ejection plus suspension from the team’s next four regularly scheduled contests.

2) For a second offense by the individual in the same season, ejection plus suspension from the team’s next eight regularly scheduled contests.

3) For a third offense by the individual in the same season, ejection plus suspension for the remainder of the season, including postseason competition.

4) If the coach has been warned during or before the contest, the coach also shall be ejected and suspended for the next regularly scheduled contest (one game).

Note 1: The suspended pitcher shall not be allowed to participate in any manner during the suspension. Note 2: If a pitcher has been ejected while pitching, the substitute shall be allowed an adequate time to warm up, similar to the time allowed when an injured pitcher is replaced.

October 21, 2019
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