Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
3d ago

High School Baseball to Adopt Double First Base in 2027

Coaches nationwide have begun evaluating potential safety benefits alongside operational challenges ahead of its 2027 introduction.

Image
Sunnyside Blue Devils Emrick Thompson (11) slides back to first base against Pinnacle Pioneers Chase Gonzalez (12) during a game at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, on April 30, 2025.
Liberty first baseman Braeden Chubb catches the ball at first base prior to Pikesville's Ian Davis touching the bag during a playoff game this season. Plays like this will be safer in 2027 when the NFHS mandates a double first base be used in all high school baseball games. (Thomas Walker/Freelance)

Overview

  • The National Federation of State High School Associations officially mandated the double first base for the 2027 season, aligning its rules with college baseball’s recent rollout.
  • The new base will feature a white fair-territory half and a solid contrasting foul-side half with no gap between them to delineate runner and fielder lanes.
  • NFHS director Elliot Hopkins says the design aims to address running lane violations and reduce violent collisions at first base.
  • Some coaches warn that the two-toned bag could complicate fair-foul calls and player positioning, increasing pressure on umpires without replay support.
  • Others argue that enhanced coaching fundamentals remain the most effective way to prevent first-base collisions even as programs discuss broader safety measures.