{"id":11548634,"date":"2025-07-11T06:00:30","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T10:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/?p=11548634"},"modified":"2025-07-10T18:56:59","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T22:56:59","slug":"high-school-baseball-double-first-base-2027-coaches-react","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/2025\/07\/11\/high-school-baseball-double-first-base-2027-coaches-react\/","title":{"rendered":"Double first base coming to high school baseball in 2027, but coaches have questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

A double first base will be required in high school baseball starting in the 2027 season, the National Federation of State High School Associations announced Tuesday.<\/a><\/p>\n

The change aims to reduce collisions between runners and fielders at first base, according to a release from the NFHS.<\/p>\n

The updated rule specifies that the double base must be white with a contrasting solid color. The white portion is positioned in fair territory, while the colored half is in foul territory, separated by the first base foul line. There must be no gap between the two halves of the base.<\/p>\n

\u201cIntroducing the double first base is a step forward for the sport,\u201d Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee said in the release. \u201cIt addresses running lane violations and helps protect players from the collisions that have occurred at first base. Reducing these collisions improves both safety and the integrity of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

The double first base has been used in high school softball for many years, and college baseball adopted it in 2025. Carroll County Supervisor of Athletics Michael Duffy believes the rule, while prioritizing player safety, also brings high school baseball in line with the next level \u2014 a shift he sees as beneficial.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think this is about fixing a widespread problem,\u201d Duffy said, acknowledging there have been few first base collisions in Carroll County to his knowledge. \u201cRather, it\u2019s about aligning with the college game and being proactive in trying to reduce potential injuries. We just want to do what makes the most sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reactions have been mixed from area coaches. They applaud the efforts to make the game safer, but some wonder what effects it will have on different aspects of play, and have unanswered questions about the implementation.<\/p>\n

“I have mixed feelings about it. I know they\u2019re doing it for safety and that\u2019s great, I just think it could add confusion to the game,” Liberty’s Travis Inch said. “The umpires now have more pressure on them about things like fair vs. foul balls, what if the ball hits directly in the middle of the double bag, is it fair or foul? We don\u2019t have replay like in college and we only have two umpires out there.”<\/p>\n

“I understand it from a safety perspective, but I honestly haven\u2019t seen many collisions at first base in all my years of coaching,” New Town’s Anthony Ross said. “This change is going to force an adjustment for first basemen. I\u2019ve seen some like to straddle kind of behind the bag to hold a runner on. Now with the double bag, can they still do that? It\u2019s also going to force some slight adjustments to base running that us coaches have to make sure our players are ready for.”<\/p>\n

Manchester Valley coach Shawn Hampt also has questions regarding how other rules will now be enforced.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019ll be interested to see how they implement things like offensive interference and obstruction now with the double bases,” he said. “What happens when a runner is running toward the inside base instead of the outside base and there\u2019s a throw? It\u2019s going to be on the umpires a lot more with calls like that. Luckily, we have a year so we have time as a program to double check what we\u2019re teaching and making sure we\u2019re being safe while still implementing our program’s style and approach to the game.”<\/p>\n