Baseball rules, all of them, in one place baseball rules academy hosts the rules of baseball, at every level. What is the infield fly rule and why do they have it. If on an infield fly rule, the infielder intentionally drops a fair ball, the ball remains in play despite the provisions. Braves fans litter field after controversial infield fly.
All portions of this particular page and the pages of the official major league rules book are sole property of major league baseball and have been reproduced without any alteration by baseball almanac who first obtained the written permission of the office of the commissioner. Now in its third editiona clear guide to the complete rules of baseball, updated in 2019. If a fly ball lands in the infield between home and first base, or. The 2012 national league wild card game was a playin game during major league baseball s mlb 2012 postseason played between the national leagues nl two wild card teams, the st. The infield fly rule is intended to prevent infielders from intentionally dropping popups in order to turn double plays or triple plays. Infield fly rule october 5, 2012 an infield fly is a fair fly ball not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, orfirst, second and third bases are occupied, before two are out. If a runner is touching his base when touched by an infield fly, he is not out, although the batter is out.
The infield fly rule in baseball is a judgement call by the umpire. Here is the way major league baseball defines the infield fly. Clarified the circumstances in which interference in rule 3. Important notes 1 the playing rules committee, at its december 2014 meeting, voted to. These cover various possibilities that may occur under the rule. In defense of baseballs infield fly rule the atlantic. Apr 24, 2017 reading the definition of the infield fly rule straight from the rules book, one can clearly see where the issue can arise. If two runners are touched by the same fair ball, only the first one is out because the ball is instantly.
Without the infield fly rule, the runners have a dilemma. Hardy missed a fly going toward lf, and the os end up with three outs. If on an infield fly rule, the infielder intentionally drops a fair ball, the ball remains in play despite the provisions of rule 5. If they stay close to their bases, the third base player could choose to let the ball drop and get multiple outs by tagging the runner who was on third, stepping on third base to force out the runner from second, and throwing to second base to force out the runner from first. It returned to the national spotlight this past week when an unusual and controversial infield fly. Fly rule about baseball infield fly rule and cardinals. Infield fly rule call mars cardinalsbraves wildcard game the cardinals just beat the braves in the firstever national league wildcard game, but it will go down in history for a different reason. The current infield fly rule went into effect in 1901 and applies with less than two outs. Im talking about the dreaded 2012 nl wild card game, best known as the infield fly rule game.
The baseball rule book may be as complicated as any in professional sports, and a. No infield fly rule no leadoffs or stealing, runners must hold their base until the ball is hit. If the umpire fails to call an infield fly on a batted ball that should have been the runners and fielders are expected to know that it is an infield fly and treat it accordingly. The infield fly rule dates back to 1894 and is covered under rules 2. It is a rule that is designed to prevent the fielding team from tricking runners and converting a double play or triple play off what should be. Such election shall be made immediately at the end of the play. Unless provided otherwise by local ground rule, a fair fly ball striking the top. The rule refers mainly to popups, since line drives or weakly hit fly balls that fall to the ground immediately would not allow time for the defense to react fast enough to catch the baserunners offguard. The rule says that an infield fly is a ball that can be caught by an infielder, but that does not mean that it must be caught by an. Barron muses on evangelization, bob dylan and the infield. What is the infield fly rule baseball rules explained youtube. It was put in place in order to prevent defensive players from dropping a fly ball hit to the infield on purpose in order to turn a quick double play.
An infield fly is a fair fly ball not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when. Baseball age seasonal age baserunners per nine innings pitched mb9 batted ball event bbe batters faced bf batting average avg batting average on balls in play babip batting out of. On the infield fly rule the umpire is to rule whether the ball could ordinarily have been handled by an infieldernot by some arbitrary limitation such as the grass, or the base lines. Important notes 1 the playing rules committee, at its december 2014. However, the littleknown part of this rule is that an infield fly cannot be called on a bunt. Case book material in this edition are in shaded boxes and are labeled as comment. In the eighth inning of the winnertakeall game between the atlanta braves and the st. If on an infield fly rule, the infielder intentionally drops a fair ball, the ball remains in play despite the provisions of rule 6.
With the nation and the world still in the grips of the covid19 pandemic and most sports shut down in the united states, including major and minor league baseball, the raison detre for this blog has taken a hit. Even if youre a diehard fan of our national pastime, sometimes an umpires call can be a little baffling. An infield fly is a fair fly ball not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt which can be caught by an infielder. Added interference with a batted ball to the list of circumstances causing a batter to be declared out. Oct 05, 2012 the comment in the baseball rule book that accompanies the explanation of the rule is whats most pertinent in tonights case. Rules baseball is an intricate game with plenty of unique characteristics, and major league baseball has many rules, regulations and standards governing its onfield practices. The rule refers mainly to popups, since line drives. Infield fly rule october 5, 2012 an infield fly is a fair fly ball not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary.
Oct 12, 2012 baseballs infield fly rule has sparked more legal fascination than any other rule in sports. The major league baseball silhouetted batter logo is a. Its a part of the game that has existed forever, but not everyone understands the infield fly rule. An infield fly is a fair fly ball not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first, second and third bases are occupied, before two are out. Uefl rules book uefl postseason awards history uefl. The subreddit for the batandball sport played between two teams of nine players. The infield fly rule was put in place to prevent a defensive player from intentionally dropping a pop up in the infield and turning it into an easy double play, or even a triple play. The infield is the portion of the playing field delimited by the three bases and home plate. Orioles turn triple play after umpire decides not to. The umpires declaration of an infield fly means that the batter is out and all force plays are removed regardless of whether the ball is caught. In mlb, we still have three base umpires left to provide backup, and the. How much did controversial infield fly call cost braves.
In the case of an infield fly, the runner is not out if. The most important rule to remember about the infield fly rule is that it. Because it is applied infrequently and is somewhat technical, the infield fly rule has an exaggerated reputation for being difficult to understand. Particularly at higher levels, a deep infield fly might be taken by an outfielder coming in. Official rule and does not require a reader to refer to different sections of the official baseball rules book in considering the application of a particular rule. Baseballs infield fly rule explained lootmeister sports.
The rulebook makes clear that any player, including an outfielder, who. Last night was the 3 year anniversary of one of the worst calls in atlantasports history. It was held at turner field in atlanta, on october 5, 2012, at 5. There are 16 baseball terms, repeat 16 that have a bearing on the why understanding of the infield fly rule. The infield fly rule will only be called under certain conditions. It forms a perfect square with 90foot sides, with the bases and home plate located at the four corners. Infield fly rule call mars cardinalsbraves wildcard game.
The manager shall make the election to take the play or take the interference penalty by. An infield fly is a fair fly ball not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first, second and third bases are occupied, before. Infield fly rule explained the infield fly rule takes effect on a fair fly ball that, in the judgment of the umpire, can be caught by an infielder, pitcher, or catcher with ordinary effort and when there are. In order for it to be an infield fly rule, there must be runners on first and second with 1 out, or first, second and third with 01 outs. The rule exists solely to prevent the defense from executing a. 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. Orioles turn triple play after umpire decides not to call infield fly rule no infield fly was called as j. Visit our frequently asked questions section to find solutions for your issues. The infield fly rule is a baseball rule intended to prevent the defense from getting a cheap double play by deliberately dropping a fly ball in the infield. At its root, the infield fly rule exists for one reasonto prevent the defense from purposely dropping popups in order to turn double or. Jun 29, 2010 what is the infield fly rule according to major league baseball, mlb rule 6. An infield fly is a fair fly ball not including a line drive nor an. Runners will be called out for leaving the base early.
Mar 10, 2020 a few important points about the infield fly rule. The common law origins of the infield fly rule the1 infield fly rule 2 is neither a rule of law nor one of equity. Oct 06, 2012 when an infield fly rule is called, runners may advance at their own risk. If they stay close to their bases, the third base player could choose to let the ball drop and get multiple outs by tagging the runner who was on. Become a part of the largest baseball rules community in the world. An infield fly is any fair fly ball not including a line drive or a bunt which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort when. The cardinals then brought in pitcher jason motte, who issued a walk to load the bases before getting out of the inning. The infield fly rule takes effect on a fair fly ball that, in the judgment of the umpire, can be caught by an infielder, pitcher, or catcher with ordinary effort and when there are runners on first and second or first, second, and third and less than two outs. The only problem was that the infield fly rule had been called. Two yankees runners didnt know the infield fly rule, leading to a. The infield fly rule is in place to protect the offense from being. Another oddity is the infield flys rule book contemporaries. Baseball s infield fly rule is not philadelphias friend, at least not after the phillies managed to run themselves into two double plays in less than a week during infield fly plays.
This being said, the rule not being in place would unfairly place base runners at risk in the infield fly situation. If you didnt know, an infield fly is a fair fly ball not a line drive or bunt that, in the judgment of the umpire, can be caught by an infielder, pitcher, or catcher with ordinary effort and when there are runners on first and second or first, second, and third and less than two outs. The rule was first introduced by the national league in 1895 and only applied with one out. The infield shall be graded so that the base lines and.
The rule is applied only and only when there are less than 2 outs and at the third or home plate there is a force play. By enhancing baseball rule book language and the overall format, this series improves the value knowledge to the reader, while supporting the actual source of those rulings. Without this rule, a defense could easily turn a popup into a double play when there are runners at first and second base. Andys ballot december 19, 2016 andy harris nonbraves baseball 0 by my estimation, there are ten players on this years baseball hall of fame ballot that, based on the criteria for enshrinement established by the hall of fame and precedent, are worthy of the vote. Baseball rules academy the rules of baseball, explained. The 2012 national league wild card game was a playin game during major league baseballs mlb 2012 postseason played between the national leagues nl two wild card teams, the st. We want to bring you the most uptodate, informative and exciting baseball information. Case book material is printed in smaller type than the rule language and is labeled as. This document was adapted from the major league baseball umpire manual. While 99% of infield fly rule applications are standard, noncontroversial situations the ordinary effort by an infielder portion of the rule is what causes the controversial issues. To purchase a printed hard cover copy of the rule book please contact the australian. While mlb s official baseball rules explain what the umpire should call, they wont tell you why. Controversial infield fly call not subject to appeal. Get free access to baseball forums, rules analysis and exclusive email content from current and former major league baseball.
The infield rule played a big role in the 2012 national league wild card game. Simmons was out, and atlanta had runners back at first and second with two outs. Everything you always wanted to know about the infield fly rule. This site is a must for umpires, coaches, and parents of little leaguers. The infield fly rule is a rule of baseball 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. Louis cardinals atlanta shortstop andrelton simmons came to bat with runners on first and second and hit a high, shallow pop up between cardinals shortstop pete kozma and left fielder matt holliday. Official australian baseball rules 6th edition sportstg. If you didnt know, an infield fly is a fair fly ball not a line drive or bunt that, in the judgment of the umpire, can be caught by an infielder, pitcher, or catcher with. Important notes 1 the playing rules committee, at its december 2014 meeting, voted to reorganize and recodify the official baseball rules into a more logical and organized manner. It was put in place in order to prevent defensive players from dropping a fly ball hit to the infield on purpose in order to turn a quick. That said, we at outfield fly rule salute the nurses, doctors, emc personnel, and essential workers risking. The rule says that an infield fly is a ball that can be caught by an infielder, but that does not mean that it must be caught by an infielder. Atlantamajor league baseball denied the atlanta braves.
However, if a portion of the runners body that is in foul territory is touched by a ball in foul territory, it is simply a foul ball. The infield fly rule explained why the infield fly rule is a must. Baseball rules the infield fly rule is a unique rule in baseball. Series of infield fly or potential infield fly plays duration. Infield fly and a double play back to basics for phillies. Outfield fly rule atlanta braves through thick and thin.