The Bases and Foul Lines: 1894–1899: National League and American Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Baseball history diagram: Bases and Foul Lines: 1894–1899: National League and American Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs. Starting in 1880, the 15' line was named the Coach's Line and the 50' line was named the Player's Line. Their distances still corresponding to the Foul Ball Lines and were specified to be marked on the playing field. These lines were drawn to aid the umpire in keeping the players and coaches the correct distance from the playing field. In 1887, the Coach's Line was required to begin 75 feet from the Catcher's Line and extend to the limits of the ground. In 1894 the Player's Line was only to extend from the Catcher's Line to the beginning of the Coach's Line. Click diagram to return to previous page.