New Kent defeated Williamsburg to win the 12U district championship for youth baseball in Virginia. Its star player made the most impressive play of the entire tournament by jumping over a tag at third base to steal a base.
But was his incredible leap legal?
There are so many different rules for youth baseball that it is hard to say one way or another. The specific set of rules is determined by the local league for each individual tournament. It would be hard to rule that it was not a valid play. And it was so cool!!
New Kent defeated Williamsburg to win the 12U youth baseball district title.
The New Kent Youth Association is based out of Quinton, Virginia. It fields six different baseball teams for kids of all ages.
- T-Ball: 4-5 years old
- Jr. Rookie: 6 years old
- Rookie: 7-8 years old
- Minors: 9-10 years old
- Majors: 11-12 years old
- Babe Ruth: 12-15 years old
From what I have gathered, New Kent is a member of the Virginia Babe Ruth Leagues of Virginia. Its 12U and 9U All-Star teams won the District 1 championship on Sunday to punch its ticket to the state tournament.
We are only focused on the former. New Kent 12U defeated Williamsburg in the championship game. Its star player pitched a complete game and only gave up two runs. He also made the most incredible play of the tournament as a base runner.
He leaped over a tag at third base to steal a base. The fielder went low. He went high. It was so cool!!
But was it legal? The rules are murky.
Can you jump over a tag?
My brain is constantly thinking about content. So when I saw this post on Facebook, I immediately thought it could play for the website. And then I remembered a really specific scenario from when I was in high school. One of my close friends was called out when he tried to jump over a tag during a playoff baseball game, much like the Virginia youth player above.
According to NFHS rules, it is illegal to jump or hurdle a fielder unless the fielder is lying flat (prone) on the ground. A base runner who attempts to hurdle, jump or dive over a standing or kneeling fielder will be called out. Period.
However, that same rule does not apply to college baseball or MLB. What about youth baseball?
I could not find a definitive answer. Some rule experts say that youth baseball players aren’t allowed to leap or hurdle over a defensive player. Little League specifically says otherwise.
“There is no Little League rule that makes it illegal to attempt to hurdle/leap over a defensive player. Hurdling over a player attempting to make a tag is a legal attempt to get around the fielder.”
But what about Cal Ripken or Babe Ruth?
As far as I can tell, it depends on the specific league and/or the specific tournament.
For example, Brighton Cal Ripken Baseball follows the same NFHS rule on hurdling and/or jumping. It is only allowed when a defender is lying prone. Crystal Lake Babe Ruth states the same set of rules. You can’t hurdle or jump a standing defender.
And yet, the New Kent base runner was not called out. I did not find a specific mention to hurdling, leaping or jumping in the Virginia state baseball tournament rules summary for the Virginia Babe Ruth League. Maybe it doesn’t exist. Or maybe nobody knows exactly what is or is not legal for base runners so it went overlooked.