Checked swing

A checked swing is a type of motion in baseball made by a batter. A checked swing occurs when a batter starts to swing his bat at the ball, but stops the swing in order to allow the ball to pass without hitting it. If the swing was indeed checked, so that there was actually no swing, then if the bat did not touch the ball and if the ball did not go through the strike zone, the pitch counts as a ball; but in that circumstance if the swing was not checked, so that a swing actually occurred, then the pitch counts as a strike.

Initially, the home plate umpire must determine if a swing was checked or not checked. If he indicates that it was checked, an appeal can be made by the catcher or his manager, and the home plate umpire can then make a request to either the 1st or 3rd base umpire to make the call as to whether or not the swing was indeed checked. (To maximize visibility, the 1st base umpire makes the call for right-handed batters, and the 3rd base umpire for left-handed batters.) To indicate a checked swing, the umpire will make a “safe” gesture with his hands; to indicate a full swing, he will clench his fist.