A Look at the NCAA Baseball Rule Changes for the 2021-22' Year

There are a large number of new rules and changes for college baseball for the 2021-22 season. A lot of these changes focus on the clarifications of specific plays, positions, outs, etc. It also adds rules to benefit the safety of players and to ensure that any players who fail to follow the rules will have consequences to follow.

Here are some of the important rule changes that baseball players and fans must familiarize themselves with before the start of the season:

(Steven Branscombe/USA TODAY Sports)

When it comes to in-play rule changes, if the batter intentionally leaves the batter's box and delays the play of game, the hitter will receive a strike even if the pitcher has not thrown a pitch. In turn, interference will be called if a bat is thrown into foul territory.

A rule change revolving around coaches now states that if a coach is successful in overturning a call, the coach will be able to retain the challenge and use it if needed later in the game, much like we see with various other pro sports.

All catchers are now required to wear a chest protector certified by the NOCSAE and now f a batter attempts to use an illegal bat or bats the ball illegally they are considered to be out.

If a fielder falls or steps into any dead-ball area after making a legal catch, then the ball will be considered as dead. As a result, each runner will advance one base from their last legally touched base before the play. If a ball that is hit or thrown that is in live-ball territory accidentally hits an authorized team personnel, the ball is still live.

When it comes to pitchers, we saw a few changes that may affect the way they approach the game. For instance, a ball will be called by the umpire if the pitcher fails to begin the pitching motion within 20 seconds after the previous play. A pitcher is allowed to receive signs from the dugout or refer to a signal card while being within the circle around the pitcher’s plate. Also, the ball will be called if a pitcher is in possession of any foreign substance while on the field. They will not be allowed to apply any moisture or foreign substance to the ball, their pitching hand, or fingers. As a result of this, the pitcher will be ejected at the umpire’s discretion.

For runners, it is now considered to have passed a base when both of their feet hit the ground beyond the back edges of the base in the direction in which the player is advancing

Appeals for half swings must now be made before the next pitch, or the next play/attempted play occurs. If the half swing occurs during a play where it ends that half of the inning, the appeal needs to be made before all the infielders of the defensive team leave fair territory.

A player that shows any signs or behaviors that align with a concussion will now need to immediately be removed and receive proper medical attention. The player being removed can be replaced by any eligible player that has yet to participate in the game.

An umpire now will have the right to eject any player, coach or team personnel if a violation warrants an ejection.

If a pitcher wears a compression-style sleeve it must be covered by an undershirt or be worn on both arms and any jewelry that is worn by a player, such as necklaces or bracelets, does not count as a part of the player’s body.

Other changes made to baseball rules in the NCAA include if a ball is pitched and hits an animal on the playing field, then that pitch will be nullified and the play will be resumed from the previous count. Also,  20-second visible pitch clock is recommended but not required, but if it is not available to be used then the time limit will be kept on the field by the base umpire.

With the new changes being created for college baseball, there is a lot that could be affected by it. A new change that could significantly impact the sport of college baseball is the new rule put in place that revolves around a player showing signs of a concussion. Through the world of sports, injuries like concussions have been considered to be serious and a priority, but never like this. In the past, many players have continued to play while having a concussion but now that there is a protocol set by the NCAA, this should no longer be the case in baseball. 

It will be interesting to see the effect that this has on NCAA baseball and its players.

Something to highlight with these rule changes is the effect that they will have on pitchers. It is no secret that pitchers use a substance when pitching to create a better grip on the ball. It has always been frowned upon by the NCAA, but now seeing that their pitchers will be ejected if caught with any sort of substance should definitely have some sort of effect on the game.