MLB Team Owners Vote To Enforce Rule To Curb Pitch Tipping

"Base coaches in Major League Baseball will have to remain in their respective coaches' boxes until the pitch is thrown after owners voted to enforce the rule Thursday at their annual meetings in Florida. The goal is to curb coaches' ability to ascertain what pitch is coming via pitch tipping - a practice that has become more prevalent over the past few years."

"The issue came up because first- and third-base coaches have been moving up and down the line more frequently to facilitate better viewing angles of pitchers, according to sources familiar with the situation. Teams look for any advantage they can get, and stealing signs from the catcher has always been the most common way to do so."

"However, the widespread use of PitchCom has made it much more difficult to figure out what the pitcher is going to throw, so coaches tried making up for that by moving farther down the line to get a better look at the catcher."

Major League Baseball implemented a rule enforcement requiring first- and third-base coaches to stay within their designated boxes until the pitch is thrown. This rule addresses the growing practice of pitch tipping, where coaches move along the baseline to gain better viewing angles of the catcher and pitcher, then relay pitch information to hitters through signs. The enforcement became necessary as teams sought competitive advantages following the widespread adoption of PitchCom technology, which made traditional sign-stealing more difficult. The issue gained prominence during the 2025 World Series Game 7 when both the Dodgers and Blue Jays were instructed to keep coaches in their boxes. Violations can result in coach ejections.

Read at Dodger Blue