by UmpSteve » Mon Mar 11, 2013 1:03 pm
First, any time a pitched ball contacts a batter (any part, including the HANDS), it is a HBP, and a dead ball. No matter where or how. But I don't think that is really your question; I suspect you are more concerned with the result of the HBP, which can be a dead ball strike, a dead ball ball, an awarded base, or (in NCAA only) a "no pitch".
To clarify, tcannizzo's response presumes you are asking about ASA or NFHS. In those rulesets, the umpire can judge if a pitch was going to be a strike; if so, the result is a dead ball strike. In NCAA, any pitched ball that contacts a batter that is out of the front of the batter's box (YES, one foot on the ground and fully outside the batter's box, same as hit by batted ball) is a "no pitch", as well as a bruise.
The second part is that even if the umpire judges the pitch was going to NOT be a strike, the result can be a dead ball ball, or a base award. If the umpire judges the batter's movement put her in a place where she wouldn't have been hit had she not moved (in other words, made SURE she was hit), that is the result; a dead ball ball. That will almost NEVER happen if the batter is moving toward the pitcher; it is for when the batter moves closer to the plate to be hit by an inside pitch that would have otherwise not contacted her. In any other case, the batter is awarded first base.
While the rules intend that that the benefit of any doubt go to the batter, since no one can be a mindreader, that DOESN'T mean umpires can never let the result (she moved to where she would be hit, as opposed to making her normal hitting movements) speak for itself.
Hope that helps.