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The infield fly rule is a rule of baseball and softball that treats certain fly balls as though caught, before the ball is caught, even if the infielder fails to catch it or drops it on purpose. The umpire 's declaration of an infield fly means that the batter is out (and all force plays are removed) regardless of whether the ball is caught.
- When Does The Infield Fly Rule Apply?
- Why Is There No Infield Fly Rule with A Runner on First?
- How Do You Call An Infield Fly?
- Do You Have to Tag Up on An Infield Fly?
- Can A Line Drive Be An Infield Fly?
- What Happens If You Drop An Infield Fly?
- Can An Infield Fly Rule Be called on A Foul Ball?
Must be less than 2 outsMust be runners on first and second or the bases must be loadedAn infielder must be able to catch the ball with ordinary effort, or, even if handled by an outfielder, if, in the umpire's judgment, the ball could have been as easily handled by an infielderThe fly ball cannot be a bunt or a line driveIf there were just a runner on first the only advantage the defensive team would have by letting the ball drop is to get the lead runner out at second. With at least two runners on base subject to a “force play”, the defensive team could potentially record multiple outs, which is what the rule aims to stop.
Due to the infield fly rule being a judgement call by the umpire, it may be called differently depending on game conditions and of course, the umpire that is calling the game. The umpire understands to make the call immediately once they determine the play meets the criteria of the rule, based solely on their judgement.
On a caught infield fly, runners must tag up in order to advance to the next base. This applies the same as with any catch. If the infield fly falls to fair ground untouched, or is touched and dropped, runners do not need to tag-up. However, since the batter is out, the force play on the other runners is removed.
No, a line drive cannot be ruled an infield fly. However, there is another rule in place to ensure that a fielder may not intentionally drop any ball hit in the air to gain a defensive advantage by not catching it; this includes line drives. Therefore, a line drive will not be called an infield fly in any situation.
Regardless of if the ball is caught or not, once the umpire calls infield fly, the batter is out. The ball is still live and base runners are allowed to advance at their own risk. However, there is no longer a force play on the runner(s) and fielders must now tag them out instead of just touching the base.
The infield fly rule ONLY applies to a fair ball. If the ball is dropped or caught in foul territory it is not an infield fly. In the instance a ball appears to be fair and the umpire calls infield fly, once it drifts into foul territory at all, caught or not, it is no longer an infield fly.
- Baseball Monkey
May 13, 2019 · The batter must hit a fly ball or popup (not a line drive), over fair territory, and in the vicinity of the infield. It is not a requirement that the ball not reach the outfield grass. Rather, the umpire must use his judgment as to whether an infielder -- or the pitcher or catcher -- could make the catch using “ordinary effort.”
- Andrew Simon
Mar 26, 2023 · An infield fly ball is a normal fly ball that is just popped in the area of the infield or outfield, which is accessible with an ordinary effort by the infielder. However, some primary criteria exist for the infield fly rule to be “ in effect .”
The Infield Fly Rule is when the batter is automatically called out because they hit an easy fly ball in the infield, there were less than two outs, and there were runners on first and second, or the bases were loaded. The Infield Fly Rule exists to prevent the defense from turning an easy double play.
Mar 7, 2024 · An infield fly is a fair ball that, in the umpire's judgment, can be caught by an infielder, pitcher, or catcher with ordinary effort. This does not include a line drive or bunt. The Infield Fly Rule applies when there are fewer than two outs, and there is force play at third base (so, when there are runners at first and second base or the bases all have runners).
People also ask
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What does 'infield fly if fair' mean?
And, the ball must be fair – an infield fly cannot be called on a foul ball, but umpires will yell, “Infield fly IF FAIR!” To let fielders know that if the ball lands in fair territory, it’s an infield fly. Now, one of the key pieces of language in the actual rule is that the infielder needs to give ordinary effort to catch the ball.
