NTBA Umpire Bulletins

Live vs. Dead Ball & Stealing

Either the ball is live is it or not.  If the ball is live, all runners can proceed to any number of bases, subject to the specific stealing rules of the division. 

There is a special restriction for stealing home in Mosquito only.  In Mosquito, if the play did not originate with a hit, no runs may score. This is true even if the ball is overthrown and even out of play and over the fence.  If the play originated with a hit, the steal of home restriction does not apply.

Example 1: Mosquito runner on second. Pitch to the batter, who does not swing. Runner steals. The catcher might as well throw to third. Even if the ball gets thrown deep into left field, or completely out of play, the runner cannot score. If safe, the runner must remain at third.

Example 2: Mosquito runner at third leaves the bag in an attempt to steal. He leaves the bag legally (i.e. after the ball crosses home plate). He cannot score and may be tagged out whenever he is off the bag, even if he touches home plate before the tag.

Example 3: Runner at first. Batter hits the ball. The runner on first can score on that play, even in Mosquito, no matter what happens, subject to the normal rules of baseball.

Example 4: Bases loaded. Batter is walked. The runner on third base scores (in all divisions).