Are the Hands Part of the Bat in Baseball?

Spend any time around youth baseball and you’ll hear the phrase “the hands are part of the bat.”

The typical scenario for this comment is that a batter has been hit in the hand by a pitch.

So, what is the ruling in this case? Hit by pitch? Foul ball? Dead ball?

Are the hands part of the bat when not swinging?

The absolute key to understanding this rule is the act of swinging.

If a pitch hits a batter on the hand, the ruling depends solely on whether the batter was attempting to swing or not.

According to baseball rules, the hands are not considered part of the bat if the batter is not swinging. So if a batter is still in his stance or is attempting to avoid getting hit, the ruling is a dead ball and hit by pitch, and he is awarded first base.

Are the hands part of the bat when swinging?

If the batter is swinging, however, yes—”the hands are part of the bat.”

If a pitch hits the batter’s hands while they are in the act of swinging, it is treated just like a pitched ball that hits the bat:

If the ball goes foul, which is the usual case—it is a foul ball.
If the ball goes fair—it’s in play.

Are the hands part of the bat when bunting?

The same rule applies when bunting.

If the batter is not attempting to bunt, meaning he has pulled the bat back from the strike zone, and the ball hits his hand, it should be ruled a dead ball the the batter is awarded first base.
If the batter is making an effort to bunt the ball, the hands are part of the bat.

Are the hands part of the bat on a check swing?

While it is a more complicated scenario, because the umpire has to determine if it the batter checked his swing, a check swing is handled the same way as a full swing.

If he is not determined not to be swinging, the hands are not part of the bat and it is ruled a dead ball and he his awarded first base.
Again, the hands are part of the bat if the hitter is in the act of swinging.

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The situation described below is applicable in all divisions of Little League Baseball, USSSA, and MLB.

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