Section 8: Safety Considerations
8.1 Protective Equipment Requirements
MLB mandates specific protective equipment for all players in active game situations under OBR Rule 3.09 and supplementary league rules:
- Batting helmets: All batters, on-deck batters, and baserunners must wear an approved helmet. Helmets must meet National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) certification standards. Two-ear-flap helmets are standard for all minor league players and have been phased in at the MLB level.
- Catcher's equipment: Catchers must wear a helmet with face mask (or a one-piece helmet/mask), chest protector, and shin guards in all game situations. Beginning in 2024, MLB recommends catchers wear a concussion-prevention cervical spine protector, though it is not yet mandatory.
- Pitchers: As of 2023, padded pitcher's caps with enhanced protection are available as optional equipment. MLB has undertaken ongoing review of mandatory pitcher protective headwear following line-drive incidents.
8.2 Collision Rules at Home Plate (OBR Rule 6.01(i))
Per OBR Rule 6.01(i), implemented in 2014 and finalized in 2015:
- A runner attempting to score may not deviate from the direct path to home plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher.
- The catcher may not block the runner's path to home plate unless the catcher is in possession of the ball. A catcher without the ball who blocks the plate is deemed to be obstructing the runner.
- Penalty (runner violation): The runner is called out; the ball is dead and no other runners may advance.
- Penalty (catcher violation): The runner is called safe; the ball is dead and other runners advance per obstruction rules.
- The rule is subject to Replay Review.
8.3 Sliding Rules and Takeout Slides (OBR Rule 6.01(j))
Per OBR Rule 6.01(j), adopted in 2016 following the Chase Utley slide incident in the 2015 postseason:
- A runner attempting to break up a double play must make a bona fide attempt to reach and stay on the base.
- The runner must reach the base before or at the time they make contact with the fielder.
- The runner must not change their path or attempt to initiate contact with the fielder for the purpose of preventing a throw.
- Penalty: Both the runner and batter-runner are declared out. This rule is a reviewable play under the Replay Review system.
8.4 Hit Batters and Batter Safety (OBR Rule 5.05(b)(2))
Per OBR Rule 5.05(b)(2), a batter hit by a pitched ball is awarded first base, provided they attempted to avoid the ball and the pitch was not in the strike zone. The umpire has authority to issue warnings to both benches if a hit batter or other conduct suggests intentional throwing at batters. Following a warning, any pitcher who hits a batter with a pitched ball is subject to ejection (OBR Rule 6.02(d)(1)).
8.5 Mound Visits and Pitcher Health
Per OBR Rule 5.10(l), each team is limited to five mound visits per nine-inning game without removing the pitcher (one additional visit is permitted for each extra inning). A visit that includes the pitcher's removal is not counted against the limit. This rule, implemented in 2018, also contributes to player welfare by reducing fatigue-inducing warm-up delays. When a pitcher is removed for injury reasons, the umpire may grant additional time for the replacement pitcher to warm up without counting against the new pitcher's allotted warm-up pitches.
8.6 Suspended Games and Weather Delays
Per OBR Rule 7.02 and supplementary MLB policy, all games shall be stopped if conditions make play unsafe, including lightning, severe weather, or field conditions that present a hazard. The umpire-in-chief has final authority to suspend play. Games suspended due to weather after becoming regulation games (five full innings, or 4½ innings with the home team leading) shall be resumed from the point of suspension, not replayed from the beginning, per current MLB policy.
8.7 Concussion Protocol
MLB's concussion protocol, established jointly by MLB and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) under the CBA, requires that any player who exhibits signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion be immediately removed from the game. The player is placed on the Injured List (IL) and must be evaluated and cleared by a physician before returning to play. An emergency Medical Services team is required to be on-site or immediately accessible at every MLB venue during all game activity.
8.8 Foreign Substance Checks and Pitcher Welfare
During enhanced foreign substance enforcement (effective June 2021), umpires conduct checks between half-innings. These checks are conducted in a respectful manner, and the Commissioner's Office has stated that the primary purpose is fair play, not penalization of a player's health or physical needs. Pitchers may use approved rosin (from the rosin bag on the mound) to improve grip at any time during a game, per OBR Rule 6.02(c)(7).