What is the dropped third strike rule? Obscure regulation dominates high-school game's ending

The dropped third strike rule is one of the few baseball rules that gets rarely implemented. The rule comes into effect when on the last strike the pitch isn't caught by the catcher or drops before the catcher can gather it in his gloves.

In such a situation, either with no runner on first base or two outs in the innings, the batter automatically becomes a base runner and can proceed to first base, giving them new life. However, because of such complexities, the rule brings a lot of confusion when implemented.

This was seen during the Section V Class B1 Baseball Championship final between two high school teams, Hornell and Palmyra-Macedon. With two outs in the seventh inning and down to the final strike, a pitch was dropped by the Hornell catcher. To his surprise the Pal-Mac batter in the box took off towards first base.

With runners in scoring positions, Pal-Mac rounded the bases to take the lead even as Hornell players continued their celebrations without realising the rule would be in effect.

As seen in the video, the catcher intially thinks about tagging the batter but doesn't go ahead with it. He then goes to celebrate with the pitcher on the mound with others joining them too.

However, some players on the field realised the rule and tried to look for the ball so that they could tag the runners before getting to home plate. The ball wasn't to be found amidst all the celebrations and Pal-Mac were declared winners with Hornell players left dumbfounded on the field.

What happens to a player's stats during a dropped third strike?

During a dropped third strike, a strikeout is recorded for the pitcher and the batter. The average for a batter is recorded similar to a strikeout, however, so is their On-Base-Percentage as they reach first base after a dropped third strike.