The phrase “foul territory” in baseball refers to an area within the field which is considered foul. It relates closely to the rules pertaining to foul balls, and what makes a ball foul in baseball. A ball landing in foul territory will be called as a foul ball, unless the ball has made contact with a fielder in fair territory before landing.
Full Answer
What is the opposite of foul territory in baseball?
The opposite of foul territory is fair territory . A fly ball hit in foul territory is in play and can be caught for an out; baserunners can advance as on any other fly ball out. If it drops to the ground, it is simply a foul ball, and runners cannot advance.
How much foul territory does a baseball game have?
The major league baseball ground can have around 18,100 to 40,700 sq. ft. of foul territory while the fair playing area is 100,000 sq. ft. As the foul territory is quite smaller than the whole ground, there is less chance of foul balls per game.
What is the difference between foul territory and fair territory?
A batter hits a ball that is untouched that lands directly in foul territory. A batter hits a ball that is touched by a fielder in foul territory. A ball is hit in fair territory, but it rolls and lands, untouched, in foul territory before it crosses first or third base. A ball is hit and flies over any wall or fence in foul territory.
What is the difference between foul and fair in baseball?
If a ball rolls into foul territory before reaching either first or third base, the ball is foul. One difference between foul balls in the infield and the outfield is that in the outfield, a ball is officially fair or foul when the ball hits the ground.
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What does foul territory mean in baseball?
Foul Territory: the part of the playing field outside the first and third base lines extended to the fence and perpendicularly upwards.
What is the difference between fair and foul territory?
When a batter hits the ball, it will either go into fair territory or foul territory. Fair territory is the area between the foul lines. The foul lines are formed between home plate and first base and home plate and third base. They extend all the way to the outfield.
Can a baseball player play in foul territory?
There's no logical reason why a fielder would ever position himself in foul territory prior to a pitch being thrown. However, it's not only a poor decision, but in fact a violation under the rules. All players, aside from the catcher, must be in fair territory once the ball is live.
What happens when a ball crosses into foul territory?
A foul ball occurs when a batted ball crosses foul territory and collides with a player or umpire. It is not necessary for me to hit fair first. “If the ball comes off the bat and lands first in the infield,” I said. Both fair and foul territory can be found in the infield.
How far does a baseball have to go to be fair?
A fair ball is when the ball is “live” and in play. Below are some examples of when a fair ball in a baseball game: The ball lands and stops rolling in fair territory between home plate and first base or home plate and third base. The ball touches first base, second base, or third base and remains in fair territory.
Is it a homerun if the ball hits the foul pole?
Batted balls that directly strike either foul pole on the fly, or leave the park on a fly to the right of the left-field foul pole and to the left of the right-field foul pole are considered home runs.
Can a first baseman set up in foul territory?
territory if brought to the attention of the umpire, or—if blatant or recurring violation—upon immediate direction of the umpire. If a player, after so directed by the umpire, blatantly refuses to comply, the player is subject to ejection.
Can a first baseman have one foot in foul territory?
Keep both feet in fair territory. The rule is that all players except the catcher must positioned in fair territory. Your foot can be on the chalk line, but cannot be outside of it.
What is the 3 0 rule in baseball?
Sometimes the other team will take offense to a batter that swings at a pitch with a 3-0 count in certain situations. Generally, the unwritten rule about the 3-0 count states that batters should not swing on a 3-0 pitch when it is late in the game and the batter's team is up by several runs.
Why isn't a caught foul tip an out?
A foul tip is always a strike, regardless of the existing ball-and-strike count. A player with two strikes against him is automatically struck out. A player with fewer than two strikes against him is not out.
Can you steal a base on a foul tip?
Stealing on a Foul Tip Baserunners do not have to tag up on a foul tip, and can also steal a base. However, it is a foul ball if the foul tip isn't caught, and runners must return to their previous base, even if the steal was successful.
Is a ball caught in foul territory live?
A foul ball, by definition, touches the ground, a fixture, or a person in foul territory. A fly ball caught in foul territory is simply a fly ball out; the ball is live and runners may advance (at their peril) after tagging up.
What is the meaning of fair and foul?
idiom. If you try to achieve something by fair means or foul, you use any method you can to achieve it, even if it is not honest or fair. Ways of achieving things.
What makes a ball fair or foul?
In baseball, a fair ball is a batted ball that entitles the batter to attempt to reach first base. By contrast, a foul ball is a batted ball that does not entitle the batter to attempt to reach first base.
What is the difference between a fair and foul ball in softball?
The batted ball hits the ground for the first time beyond first or third base. It is the position of the ball when it hits the ground that determines fair or four. If the ball lands (beyond first or third) in foul territory, it is a foul ball. If the ball lands in fair territory, it is a fair ball.
Is a ball caught in foul territory live?
A foul ball, by definition, touches the ground, a fixture, or a person in foul territory. A fly ball caught in foul territory is simply a fly ball out; the ball is live and runners may advance (at their peril) after tagging up.
What are the Rules of Foul Ball?
As a coach, I understand the psychology of beginner baseball players. Thus, I don’t fill their minds with complex rules initially.
How is Baseball Field and Boundaries Relevant to Foul Ball?
Besides the batter and catcher, the baseball field plays an important role to decide whether it’s a fair or a foul ball.
Wrapping Up
That was all about foul ball rules and consequences in the baseball world. Hopefully, now even if someone asks you what is foul ball in baseball, you can enlighten them too. Depending on the infield and outfield, regulation of identifying a foul ball differs.
What makes a ball fair or foul?
There are two types of territories in baseball – fair and foul. A ball can be considered foul through the following scenarios:
Why is it called a foul ball?
It is called a foul ball because it has landed in foul territory. This is an important designation because a fair ball is considered in play, but a foul ball is considered a dead ball.
How many foul balls can you hit?
You can hit as many foul balls as you possibly can. There is no limit to the number. As long as the foul balls are not hit in the air and caught, you can continue to foul pitches off. There’s actually a benefit to the hitter here in that you can add to the pitch count of a pitcher.
What happens if a player drops a foul ball?
This can happen frequently. Players drop foul balls from time to time. Depending on the situation There can be different consequences. The most common consequence is that the batter gets another opportunity at the plate. This new opportunity can be a positive or negative thing. Perhaps the batter simply strikes out or hits into a double play.
Is it a foul ball?
In conclusion, there are a number of different scenarios in which a foul ball can affect the outcome of a game. Some are easy to understand and some are a bit more complicated. If you are watching a casual fan, the easiest thing to do is to watch to see what the umpire calls.
What is a ball that passes the foul pole in fair territory and lands in foul territory?
Any ball that passes the foul pole in fair territory and lands in foul territory (therefore curling around the pole) is a home run. Within the infield, the rules are a little more complicated. Due to the natural spin of a baseball hitting a bat, many batted balls don’t travel in a straight line.
What Happens on a Foul Ball in Baseball?
What does not vary is that a batter cannot reach base and a batter is not out for merely hitting a foul ball.
Why is it illegal to bunt a ball foul with two strikes?
Because a bunt makes it easier to direct a ball in a certain direction, bun ting a ball foul with two strikes is prohibited to prevent batters from purposely bunting pitches foul just to tire out a pitcher.
What is fair in baseball?
The simplest rules are balls hit beyond the infield. Any ball that takes its first bounce on or inside either foul line is considered fair.
Why should you watch out for foul balls?
In other words, whenever a hitter sends a ball foul, you better watch out, because that ball is much more likely to become a souvenir than an out. So the next time you are at a baseball game, keep an eye out for foul balls because there are bound to be a lot of them.
What happens when the ball winds up somewhere out of play?
The ball winds up somewhere out of play, and nothing happens on the field. You may have even gone to a game and come home with the result of this: a foul ball.
How many square feet are there in a baseball stadium?
MLB ballparks contain between 18,100 and 40,700 square feet of foul territory, compared to over 100,000 square feet in fair territory, so with less room (and fewer opportunities), there are usually rather few foul outs per game.
Fair Territory and Foul Territory
A foul ball is one important batted ball rule every baseball fan should know to get a good grasp of how the game goes. Understanding a foul ball starts with knowing where fair territory and foul territory are on the baseball field.
What Is Considered a Foul Ball in Baseball?
Now that you know where the fair and foul territories are in baseball, it will be a lot easier to understand the different foul ball rules. Let’s look at different scenarios where an umpire may rule a foul ball.
What Happens on a Foul Ball in Baseball?
If the foul ball is caught by any member of defense before it touches the ground, the batter is out. The ball remains live or in play, and base runners may advance at their own risk after tagging up.
Does a Foul Ball Count as a Strike or a Ball?
A strike is added when a batter hits a foul ball, provided he has less than two strikes in the play. If he has already accumulated two strikes, no strike is added to the count.
FAQs
Here are quick answers to frequently asked questions about foul balls.
Conclusion
Foul balls in baseball come in all sorts. Most people have a hard time understanding what they are until they read the baseball rule books thoroughly.
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What is the rule for a catcher in baseball?
Official Baseball Rule 5.02 provides that when the ball is put in play at the start of or during a game, all fielders other than the catcher shall be on fair territory. In particular, when holding a runner on first base, the first baseman shall position himself with both feet in fair territory.
When is the MLB ejection rule?
MLB Umpire Manual. ejection first basemen foul lines. March 27, 2020.
