Upon proper discovery of an illegal bat, what option does the defense have?

• A. The defense may elect either the penalty or the result of the play.
• B. The offense may elect the penalty.
• C. The umpire decides the penalty.
• D. The defense must accept the result of the play.

Answer: (A)

When an illegal bat is discovered properly, the defense has a choice: either apply the penalty or let the result of the play stand. This lets the defense decide whether to nullify what happened with a formal penalty or to accept the play as it occurred.

If the defense chooses the penalty, the batter is out and the ball is dead, with runners returning to the last legally touched bases (per the rule’s penalty). If they choose the result of the play, the play’s outcomes stand as they occurred, even though the bat was illegal. The offense doesn’t pick; the decision rests with the defense, and the umpire doesn’t make that choice for them.