TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluating the Chase Utley Rule
T2 - The Association Between a Rule Change and Collision-Related Injuries in Major League Baseball
AU - Tanenbaum, Joseph E.
AU - Knapik, Derrick M.
AU - Karns, Michael R.
AU - Salata, Michael J.
AU - Gillespie, Robert J.
AU - Voos, James E.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors acknowledge current and former MLB staff members, including John D?Angelo, Kevin Ma, Dana Rowe, and Zack Tenner, for their contributions. Their assistance in obtaining access to the data used in this analysis was invaluable.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022.
PY - 2022/4
Y1 - 2022/4
N2 - Background: Major League Baseball (MLB) adopted a rule change in 2016 to reduce the number of collisions that occur when a player slides into a base. The effect of rule 6.01(j) has not been quantified, and it remains unknown if this rule change has led to improved player safety. Hypothesis: Rule 6.01(j) would be associated with a reduction in the number of collision-related injuries at second base. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Using data from the MLB Health and Injury Tracking System, we quantified the number of collision-related injuries for defensive (ie, fielding) players in the infield at the major and minor league levels between the 2010 and 2019 seasons. We compared the median number of collision-related injuries for defensive players in the infield from before (2010-2015) to after (2016-2019) the implementation of rule 6.01(j) and also calculated the difference in location of the median from the seasons before versus after the rule change. An additional 3 analyses were performed to support or contradict a conclusion that any observed reduction in injuries at the start of the 2016 season was likely caused by the adoption of rule 6.01(j). Results: The median number of collision-related injuries for defensive players at second base decreased from 58.5 to 37.5 injuries per season after the rule change, which was a 36% decrease (difference in location, 19.5 [95% CI, 5.0 to 31.0]; P =.019). In contrast, the median number of collision-related injuries at first base decreased by only 14.1%, from 49.5 before to 42.5 after the rule change (difference in location, –9.0 [95% CI, –4.0 to 18.0]; P =.16), and the median number of collision-related injuries per season at third base was unchanged at 15 per season. Conclusion: This rule change was associated with a decrease in the number of collision-related injuries, with the largest effect observed at second base, as expected.
AB - Background: Major League Baseball (MLB) adopted a rule change in 2016 to reduce the number of collisions that occur when a player slides into a base. The effect of rule 6.01(j) has not been quantified, and it remains unknown if this rule change has led to improved player safety. Hypothesis: Rule 6.01(j) would be associated with a reduction in the number of collision-related injuries at second base. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Using data from the MLB Health and Injury Tracking System, we quantified the number of collision-related injuries for defensive (ie, fielding) players in the infield at the major and minor league levels between the 2010 and 2019 seasons. We compared the median number of collision-related injuries for defensive players in the infield from before (2010-2015) to after (2016-2019) the implementation of rule 6.01(j) and also calculated the difference in location of the median from the seasons before versus after the rule change. An additional 3 analyses were performed to support or contradict a conclusion that any observed reduction in injuries at the start of the 2016 season was likely caused by the adoption of rule 6.01(j). Results: The median number of collision-related injuries for defensive players at second base decreased from 58.5 to 37.5 injuries per season after the rule change, which was a 36% decrease (difference in location, 19.5 [95% CI, 5.0 to 31.0]; P =.019). In contrast, the median number of collision-related injuries at first base decreased by only 14.1%, from 49.5 before to 42.5 after the rule change (difference in location, –9.0 [95% CI, –4.0 to 18.0]; P =.16), and the median number of collision-related injuries per season at third base was unchanged at 15 per season. Conclusion: This rule change was associated with a decrease in the number of collision-related injuries, with the largest effect observed at second base, as expected.
KW - Major League Baseball
KW - injury reduction
KW - player safety
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85129228863&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/23259671221090899
DO - 10.1177/23259671221090899
M3 - Article
C2 - 35558142
AN - SCOPUS:85129228863
SN - 2325-9671
VL - 10
JO - Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine
JF - Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine
IS - 4
ER -