NEW RULE FOR 2017
Commitment Line
Once a player crosses the Commitment Line between 3rd Base & Home Plate they must continue through to Home. The act of crossing the Safety Line (Home Plate to backstop) will now act as Home Plate, whereas any player running Home that touches Home Plate will be considered out. Also, all plays at Home Plate will be force outs (i.e. once a player crosses the Commitment Line they can be forced out at Home)
The Safety Line shall be marked between home plate and the fence on the third base side of the diamond, perpendicular to the third base line. On a play at home plate, a runner will be called out if he or she touches or crosses the Safety Line after the catcher has the ball and is in contact with the plate (i.e. a force play). Otherwise, the runner will be safe.
A runner will be considered to have crossed the Safety Line once they touch the ground on or beyond the line. The catcher may still tag runners out if NOT standing on Home Plate.
If the runner touches home plate, runs over the plate or on the infield side (fair territory) of it, or makes intentional contact with the catcher, the runner will be called out.
EXCEPTION: The runner will not be out for any of these reasons if the catcher, or any member of the fielding team, is blocking the scoring/Safety Line so that the runner cannot be reasonably expected to cross it properly. NOTE:The runner is permitted to slide across the line.
Once a runner has touched or crossed the “Commitment Line”, he or she has committed to trying to score and may not return to third base. A force play will now be in effect at home plate and the conditions of the previous rule will apply. In the event that the runner returns to third base and does not try to score after having “committed”, the runner will be called out once the play is over, IF APPEALED TO THE UMPIRE.
EXCEPTION: A runner who “committed”, passed the commitment line, may return to third base after a caught fly ball OR to touch a base previously missed.