Rule 7 – Section 1 – POSITION AND BATTING ORDER

7-1-1   Each player of the team at bat shall become the batter and shall take his position within a batter’s box, on either side of home plate, in the order in which his name appears on the lineup card as delivered to the umpire prior to the game (4-1-3). This order shall be followed during the entire game except that an entering substitute shall take the replaced player’s place in the batting order. A batter is in proper order if he follows the player whose name precedes his in the lineup, even though such preceding batter may have batted out of order. An improper batter is considered to be at bat as soon as he is in the batter’s box and the ball is live. When the improper batter’s infraction is first discovered by either team, time may be requested and the improper batter replaced by the proper batter with the improper batter’s ball and strike count still in effect, provided the infraction is detected before the improper batter is put out or becomes a base runner. Only the defensive team may appeal batting out of order after the batter has completed his time at bat. Any outs made on the play stand. An out for batting out of order supersedes an out by the improper batter on a play. While the improper batter is at bat, if a runner advances because of a stolen base, balk, wild pitch or passed ball, such advance is legal.

7-1-2   After the first inning, the first batter in each inning shall be the player whose name follows that of the last batter who completed his time at bat in the preceding inning

PENALTIES For batting out of order (7-1-1 and 7-1-2):

1. A batter shall be called out, on appeal, when he fails to bat in his proper turn and another batter completes a time at bat in his place.
2. When an improper batter becomes a runner or is put out and the defensive team appeals to the umpire before the first legal or illegal pitch, or, play or attempted play, or prior to an intentional base on balls or before the infielders leave the diamond if a half-inning is ending, the umpire shall declare the proper batter out and return all runners to the base occupied at the time of the pitch.
3. When an improper batter becomes a runner or is put out and a legal pitch or illegal pitch has been delivered to the succeeding batter, or an intentional base on balls has occurred, or all infielders have left the diamond if a half inning is ending, and before an appeal is made, the improper batter becomes the proper batter and the results of his time at bat become legal.
4. When the proper batter is called out because he has failed to bat in turn, the next batter shall be the batter whose name follows that of the proper batter thus called out.
5. When an improper batter becomes a proper batter because no appeal is properly made as above, the next batter shall be the batter whose name follows that of such legalized improper batter. The instant an improper batter’s actions are legalized, the batting order picks up with the name following that of the legalized improper batter.

   NOTE: When several players bat out of order before discovery so that a player’s time at bat occurs while he is a runner, such player remains on base, but he is NOT out as a batter.