What is a checked swing strike? Deep dive into the NCAA baseball rules during the 2024 College World Series

If something angers batters, it is a checked swing strike. When a batter tries to avoid hitting what he has too late realized is a bad pitch, the batter may attempt to check his swing before going through the halfway point.

The catcher is then allowed to ask the first-base umpire (or third-base umpire in case of southpaws) to determine if the batter went past the halfway point of the swing.

If the umpire determines this is so, this pitch will be counted as a strike. This is a checked swing strike.

The NCAA baseball rulebook, section 39, defines it as a half swing and describes it as follows:

SECTION 39. An attempt by the batter to stop the forward motion of the bat while swinging, which puts the batter in jeopardy of a strike being called. The half swing shall be called a strike if the barrel head of the bat passes the batter’s front hip. This does not apply to a bunt attempt when the batter pulls the bat back."

How does MLB define a checked swing?

Interestingly, the checked swing definition doesn't appear in any of the MLB rulebook sections.

The term 'check swing appeal' does appear as one of nine occasions that a batter is allowed to leave the batter’s box before the conclusion of a plate appearance.

The only definition of the 'swinging strike' term comes in the glossary at the end of the MLB rulebook.

MLB doesn't have a proper definition for the term 'swing' in its rulebook. This is one instance where the college rulebook seems to be better than MLB's.

2024 College World Series first-round schedule

June 15

NC State vs. Kentucky 2:00 p.m. ET

Texas A&M vs. Florida 7:00 p.m. ET

June 16

Florida State vs. Virginia 2:00 p.m. ET

Tennessee vs. North Carolina 7:00 p.m. ET

All the remaining games of the first round of the College World Series will be available on ESPN, except for the Tennessee vs. North Carolina one, which will air on ESPN2.

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