By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced on Tuesday that it will require a double first base for high school baseball by the start of the 2027 season.

The rule revision was one of 10 proposed by the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee during its annual meeting that was held in Indianapolis on June 8-10. The rules changes were accepted by the NFHS Board of Directors.

In order to incorporate the new double first base rule, new language was added to Rule 1-2-9, noting that the double first base must be white and a contrasting solid color.

The white portion of the base is located in fair territory and used by the first baseman. The colored second base is located in foul territory, splitting the first base foul line, for the base-runner to use.

“Adding the double first base is symbolic to the evolution of the sport,” said Elliot Hopkings, who is the NFHS Director of Sports and liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee. “It will immediately address running-lane violations and it will further protect the players from the violent collisions that have occurred at first base. By reducing collisions and enhancing safety, it preserves both the integrity of competition and the well-being of those who play.”

With the addition of the double first base, several subsequent clarifications were amended in the rules, including Rule 8-2-2a, which outlines how base-runners and fielders shall use the double first base.

The new language includes that the base-runner should use the colored base on an initial play at first base unless a fielder is drawn into foul territory to receive a dropped third strike, in which case the base-runner would use the white base. Also, once the base-runner reaches first base safely, they must always return to the white base, including leadoffs, returning on a pick-off attempt or tagging up on a fly ball. A base-runner is permitted to use either base on a walk or on an extra-base hit.

Interference is to be called on base-runners if they only touch the white base on a force play at first and collide with the fielder. Similarly, it is obstruction if a defensive player only touches the colored base and collides with the base-runner.

Separate from the double first base, another rule was added by the Baseball Rules Committee:

     • Rule 3-4-6: Defensive player meetings on the mound will be charged as conferences. Each team, when on defense, may be granted not more than one player-to-player meeting during an inning. Umpires shall deny any subsequent defensive team requests for that half-inning. To help with clarifications, Rule 2-10-3 was added to define a player-to-player defensive meeting as including two or more defensive players.

“A player-to-player defensive meeting is a natural and essential part of the game—whether it’s strategy, encouragement or clarification, but having multiple meetings in a half-inning adds additional time that lengthens a contest and is not in the best interest of the game,” Hopkins said. “A charged conference, however, involves direct coaching intervention with either a coach or a non-playing representative and is intended to provide instruction. The distinction ensures we honor both the flow of the game and the role of coaching.”