INDIANAPOLIS — High school baseball teams across the country will be required to use a double first base beginning with the 2027 season, following a rules change approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations.
The NFHS Baseball Rules Committee proposed the revision during its annual meeting June 8-10 in Indianapolis. It was one of 10 rule changes accepted by the NFHS Board of Directors aimed at improving player safety and game flow.
The new rule, added as Rule 1-2-9, requires a double first base with a white and a contrasting colored portion. The white half must be placed in fair territory, while the colored portion lies in foul territory, divided by the foul line. The two parts must be adjacent with no gap between them.
Additional rules, including Rule 8-2-2a, outline how the double base is to be used. Batter-runners are expected to use the colored half on plays at first base unless a fielder moves into foul territory to receive a throw, in which case the white portion may be used. Batter-runners must return to the white base when leading off or tagging up. The rule also addresses interference and obstruction involving improper use of the double base during collisions.
Other changes include updates to Rule 2-5-1h and Rule 2-16-1h to clarify when a batted ball is fair or foul based on contact with either portion of the base.
The committee also approved a new restriction on defensive meetings under Rule 3-4-6. Teams are allowed one player-to-player meeting per half-inning, defined in Rule 2-10-3 as a discussion involving two or more defensive players. Additional meetings will be denied by umpires.
Uniform rules were also updated. Beginning in 2027, schools may include a name, logo, mascot or nickname on the uniform top or pants under Rule 1-4-4. Additionally, Rule 1-6-3 now prohibits players from wearing any audio or video recording devices during a game.
A full list of changes is available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.
Baseball remains one of the most popular high school sports nationwide, with 471,701 boys participating at 16,146 schools, according to the 2023-24 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey.