The umpires were within the parameters of the rulebook on friday. The infield fly rule can be a cause for confusion sometimes, and there was some controversy regarding an infield fly call in the bravescardinals postseason game last year however, the little. 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. 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. Oct 12, 2012 baseballs infield fly rule has sparked more legal fascination than any other rule in sports. Hochevar threw to catcher drew butera, who easily tagged bourgeois five feet from the plate for the inningending double play. Orioles turn triple play after umpire decides not to. The infield fly rule in baseball is a judgement call by the umpire. What is the infield fly rule baseball rules explained youtube. That means that even if the ball drops to the ground, the batter is still out.
This is normally called to put a stop to a double play. This article was published in the spring 2015 baseball research journal. 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. Interestingly, however, no one has explained or defended the rule on its own terms as part of the internal rules and institutional structure of baseball as a game. The play is then called dead, and the hitter is out regardless of whether any fielder actually makes the catch or not.
Baseballs infield fly rule is perhaps one of the most conditional and technical parts of the sports rules book, yet once the concept is grasped. The infield fly rule is normally called under two circumstances. The rule was first introduced by the national league in 1895 and only applied with one out. 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. If interference is called during an infield fly, the ball remains alive until it is determined whether the ball is fair or foul. Wasserman abstract no sports rule has generated as much legal scholarship as baseballs infield fly rule. It returned to the national spotlight this past week when an unusual and controversial infield fly.
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. Dec 03, 2012 the original video on the infield fly rule had some confusing sections, hopefully this one will correct them. When the umpire calls infield fly the batter is out, regardless of whether the ball is subsequently caught or dropped. What is the infield fly rule and why do they have it. 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. The only other instance when the infield fly rule is called is when either runners are on first and second, or the bases are loaded. An infield fly is not judged by arbitrary markings on the field, such as the infield grass line. The infield fly rule will only be called under certain conditions. Major league baseballs official playing rules committee has opted to alter baseballs definition of the infield fly rule following a contested play late in the 2012 season that baffled. 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. Rule 1 circuits a conditions to relocation to another clubs territory. 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.
Few rules in major league baseball provide such a captivating history as that of. 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. A copy of this article may be downloaded in adobe acrobat format. Runners are on first and second with less than 2 outs. This being said, the rule not being in place would unfairly place base runners at risk in the infield fly situation. Last night was the 3 year anniversary of one of the worst calls in atlantasports history. Infield fly rule the infield fly rule is a simple and common, but occasionally misunderstood part of the game.
Series of infield fly or potential infield fly plays duration. Im talking about the dreaded 2012 nl wild card game, best known as the infield fly rule game. 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. 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. The first one is when there are less than two outs. If the ball is dropped or caught in foul territory it is not an infield fly. 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. At least the braves accomplished that much this season. 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. Baseballs infield fly rule has sparked more legal fascination than any other rule in sports.
Mlb modifies infield fly rule in wake of confusing play. If the ball is near thebaselines, the umpire shall declare infield fly, if fair. Outfield fly rule atlanta braves through thick and thin. An infield fly landing in the grass is not an infield fly. Oct 06, 2012 what is the infield fly rule in baseball. Infield fly rule,12 an outdated rule of baseball whose time must end. Of all the rules that are in the rulebook, the infield fly rule is perhaps the one thats the most difficult for people to visualize.
Visit our frequently asked questions section to find solutions for your issues. Orioles turn triple play after umpire decides not to call infield fly rule no infield fly was called as j. Without this rule, a defense could easily turn a popup into a double play when there are runners at first and second base. Time to drop the infield fly rule and end a common law anomaly. In the eighth inning of the winnertakeall game between the atlanta braves and the st. An infield fly is a fair fly ball not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt which can be caught by an infielder. While mlb s official baseball rules explain what the umpire should call, they wont tell you why. Everything you always wanted to know about the infield fly rule. The infield fly rule was established to prevent infielders from purposely securing more than one out for their team. So long as an infielder could have caught the ball with ordinary effort, the rule still applies.
It was held at turner field in atlanta, on october 5, 2012, at 5. Runner on third, one out, batter hits fly ball to the out field on which. The infield and outfield, including the boundary lines, are fair terri tory and all other area. The infield fly rule was enacted in 1895, making an infield fly with first and. The original video on the infield fly rule had some confusing sections, hopefully this one will correct them. The common law origins of the infield fly rule the1 infield fly rule 2 is neither a rule of law nor one of equity. The infield fly rule was invoked for the out on bruce. The rule is in place to protect against a team allowing a shallow fly ball to drop in with the intention of causing a force play at second and third or second, third and home. If there was no infield fly rule, the following could happen. 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. The major league baseball silhouetted batter logo is a. The infield fly rule explained why the infield fly rule is a must.
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. When it seems apparent that a batted ball will be an infield fly, the umpire shall immediately declare infield fly for the benefit of the runners. If a declared infield fly falls untouched to the ground outside the baseline, and bounces fair before passing first or third base, it is an infield fly. Oct 06, 2012 in that case, the infield fly rule could conceivably be called if an infielder misses a catchable ball on the warning track. The runner on third base, bourgeois, broke from third base and tried to score. Another oddity is the infield flys rule book contemporaries. Just because an outfielder actually caught the ball has no bearing on the infield fly rule. We want to bring you the most uptodate, informative and exciting baseball information. In defense of baseballs infield fly rule the atlantic. 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. The ball is live, and runners already on base may advance at their own risk if the ball is not caught or tag up and advance if it is caught. The comment in the baseball rule book that accompanies the explanation of the rule is whats most pertinent in tonights case. When the umpire judges that a batted ball meets the infield fly rule, he calls out infield fly, batters out. The infield fly rule dates back to 1894 and is covered under rules 2.
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. Amajorleagueclub,inordertorelocatewithinthehome territory of another major league club, must comply with the following conditions. Oct 05, 2012 the comment in the baseball rule book that accompanies the explanation of the rule is whats most pertinent in tonights case. These cover various possibilities that may occur under the rule. 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. The ball is alive and runners may advance at the risk of the ball being caught, or retouch and advance after the ball is touched, the same as on any fly ball. Without the infield fly rule, the runners have a dilemma. Feb 20, 20 major league baseballs official playing rules committee has opted to alter baseballs definition of the infield fly rule following a contested play late in the 2012 season that baffled. A team had thrown itself on the vagaries of the infield fly rule so that the world may better grasp it.
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. Because it is applied infrequently and is somewhat technical, the infield fly rule has an exaggerated reputation for being difficult to understand. What is the infield fly rule baseball rules explained. If on an infield fly rule, the infielder intentionally drops a fair ball, the ball remains in play despite the provisions of rule 5.
The infield fly rule denotes that a hitter is out if a fly ball is hit in the infield, there are less than two outs, and runners are on base. Particularly at higher levels, a deep infield fly might be taken by an outfielder coming in. That said, we at outfield fly rule salute the nurses, doctors, emc personnel, and essential workers risking. 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. My interpretation of the mlb rule is that the batted ball is treated like a caught flyball whether the ball is caught or not, so the runners must retouch their base before advancing. Amendments to the sliding rules were implemented after a 2015 season in which a number of middle infielders were injured by sliding baserunners while covering second base. Here is the way major league baseball defines the infield fly. Case book material is printed in smaller type than the rule language and is labeled as comment. Discussion of the infield fly rule in little league. In that case, the infield fly rule could conceivably be called if an infielder misses a catchable ball on the warning track. 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.
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