While watching son's game today one of his teammates hit the ball twice. It was called dead. Is a ball hit twice automatically called dead? It looked to me like the ball hit the plate after initial contact, then bounced quickly up out in front of the plate where his follow through tipped the ball again. I didn't see it hit the batter, catcher or go foul. Just asking for educational purposes.

I believe the bat at that point become's part of the Body.
Now if he step's out of the batter's box towards first base he could be called out.

From the post by bkecks I am assuming the following after the first bat & ball contact:
a) the bat is still in the batter's hand.
b) the batter is still in the box.
c) the ball is still over fair ground.

If a, b & c are true then under NFHS (Fed) rules it is a foul ball on the second contact. Rule 8-4-1d Exception reads..."If the bat and ball accidently come in contact with each other a second time while the batter is holding the bat in the batter's box, it is a foul ball."

Under Official Baseball Rules (OBR) Rule 7.09 (b) reads..."It is interference by a batter, after hitting or bunting a fair ball, his bat hits the ball a second time in fair territory."
(the batter would be out for his interference)

Under both codes the ball would be dead at the time of the second contact.

In OBR it is also generally accepted to call that a foul ball if the batter and ball are still in the box (even if the ball is in the part of the batters box in fair ground).

quote:

Originally posted by pilsner:
From the post by bkecks I am assuming the following after the first bat & ball contact:
a) the bat is still in the batter's hand.
b) the batter is still in the box.
c) the ball is still over fair ground.

All of the above is correct. Both contacts with the ball occurred on the same swing (no attempt to hit it again).

This tournament was played under Sporting News rules. I assume those are OBR but I don't know.

If he's still in the box, foul ball.

Additional reference from OBR (Sporting News):

Rule 6.05 A batter is out when-h) After hitting or bunting a fair ball, his bat hits the ball a second time in fair territory. The ball is dead and no runners may advance.