Rule Quiz

Rule Quiz - All About Infield Flies

I believe somebody, somewhere, understands the infield fly rule.
-- Nike Ad, All-Star Game '95

The rule that confuses people more than any other is the Infield Fly Rule. In the following three scenarios, see how well you understand this rule and then read a little about the history and reasoning behind it.

Scenario A:

There’s one out and runners on 1^st and 2^nd bases. The batter pops up the ball along the 3^rd baseline. The umpire shouts "Infield Fly, Batter is Out!" The 3^rd baseman lets the ball drop and it rolls over to the fence by the 3^rd base dugout. Is the batter out?

YES NO

If you said YES, you are wrong.

This was a foul ball. Even though the umpire called it an "Infield Fly" the call was automatically changed when the ball went foul. The Major League Baseball Rules recommend that if there is a chance that an infield pop-up can go foul, the umpire should make his declaration "Infield Fly, If Fair."

If you said NO you are right!

Scenario B:

There’s one out and runners on 1^st and 2^nd bases. The batter pops up the ball above 2^nd base. The umpire shouts "Infield Fly, Batter is Out!" but a gust of wind carries the ball into the outfield, where it drops in the grass. Is the batter out?

YES NO

If you said NO, you are wrong.

Even though the ball did not stay in the infield, when it was in the air the umpire’s judgment was that it could ordinarily be caught by an infielder and he called it that way. Many people don’t consider that the Infield Fly Rule is a Judgment Call by the Umpire. The umpire is required to make the call while the ball is in the air. Once he makes the call he cannot reverse it since the runners and batter have already acted on the call.

If you said YES you are right!

Scenario C:

You're the batter with runners on 1^st and 2^nd with no outs. You try to lay down a bunt and miss. On the next pitch you swing away and get under the ball, popping it up just behind 3^rd base. However, the 3^rd baseman had been playing way in on the grass to cover your bunt and could not get to the ball.

You think, "Darn that Infield-Fly Rule. If not for that, I might have gotten on base with this hit." You walk back to the dugout, only to find out that the third baseman picked up the ball and got back to the base in time, forcing the runner from 2^nd out at 3^rd. He then threw to 2^nd to force out the runner from 1^st. With you in the dugout, they tossed the ball over to 1^st and you were called out, too. A triple play!

"That's not right," you think. "The Infield-Fly Rule removed the forces and there should have been only one out!" Are you right?

YES NO

If you said YES, you are wrong.

An Infield Fly is defined as a fly ball "which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort." In the umpire's judgment, your hit could not have been caught by an infielder (remember that the 3^rd baseman was way in on the grass at the time) and he never called the Infield Fly. Since the Infield Fly Rule is ultimately an umpire's judgment call, no matter what you thought and no matter where the ball was hit, if the umpire does not call it, it is not an Infield Fly. Thus, you were not out (at least until you left the field) and the runners were both forced to the next bases.

If you said NO you are right!

Now read on and learn about the actual Infield Fly rule, some of its history, and a real case in the Major Leagues that was just like Scenario C.

About the Infield Fly Rule

The following is an excerpt from the Major League Baseball Rules (Section 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. The pitcher, catcher and any outfielder who stations himself in the infield on the play shall be considered infielders for the purpose of this rule. 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 the ball is near the baselines, the umpire shall declare "Infield Fly, if Fair." 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. If the hit becomes a foul ball, it is treated the same as any foul. If a declared Infield Fly is allowed to fall untouched to the ground, and bounces foul before passing first or third base, it is a foul ball. 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. On the infield fly rule the umpire is to rule whether the ball could ordinarily have been handled by an infielder not by some arbitrary limitation such as the grass, or the base lines. The umpire must rule also that a ball is an infield fly, even if handled by an outfielder, if, in the umpire's judgment, the ball could have been as easily handled by an infielder. The infield fly is in no sense to be considered an appeal play. The umpire's judgment must govern, and the decision should be made immediately. When an infield fly rule is called, runners may advance at their own risk. If on an infield fly rule, the infielder intentionally drops a fair ball, the ball remains in play despite the provisions of Rule 6.05 (L). The infield fly rule takes precedence.

In the early days of baseball, one of the tricks that fielders used was to get under a pop-up in the infield and make it look like the ball was going to be caught. To keep from being doubled up, the runners would stay near their bases. The fielder would intentionally drop the ball and then pick it up to force the lead runner and then get a double play, or even a triple play, on the preceding runners. Obviously, this ploy would only work when there were runners on 1^st and 2^nd or on 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd bases. With a runner on 1^st only, it was difficult to make the double play since the batter usually had enough time to get to 1^st base while the ball was in the air.

To prevent this, the Infield Fly Rule was added to the official rules of baseball in 1895. Henry Chadwick, a sports writer for the New York Clipper, and Alexander Cartwright, founder of the first baseball team, the Knickerbocker Baseball Club of New York City, are credited with introducing and forcing implementation of this rule.

The Infield Fly Rule even confuses major league players. In the following account from a game between the Cleveland Indians and the Baltimore Orioles in the 2000 season, Sandy Alomar made the mistake of assuming an Infield Fly, allowing a triple play by the Orioles. Don't forget: There is no Infield Fly until the umpire calls it:

In the second inning, Cleveland had runners at first and second with no outs when Sandy Alomar hit a pop fly into short left, about 15 feet beyond the infield dirt.

Shortstop Melvin Mora went back for the ball, but instead of catching it, he purposely let it drop. Indians runners, Travis Fryman at second, and Will Cordero at first, never left their bases, thinking the infield-fly rule would be called. But none of the umpires made a ruling, and Mora alertly threw to second baseman Jerry Hairston, who tagged Fryman for the first out. "I understand exactly where (head umpire) John (Shulock) was coming from," Fryman said. "He was correct in not making the call right away. When the ball left the bat I thought it might fall in. John later told me he made a mistake, that he should have called it."

Alomar thought he was out right away. "I figured it was the infield-fly rule," he said. "What was I supposed to do, stand there? Nothing was going on so I went back in the dugout. That was ridiculous. Thank God we didn't lose the game because of that."

Hairston then threw to first, but umpire Ian Lamplugh ruled Cordero safe. Cordero was called out on a force at second. Alomar was called out because he left the field.

As the Orioles players began running off, Cleveland Manager Charlie Manuel argued with second-base umpire Rocky Roe. Manuel had no luck with Roe and began pleading his case to Shulock.
"If it was the infield-fly rule I would have called it," Shulock said.
The Orioles last turned a triple play on Aug. 25, 1992, against the California Angels.
The Indians last hit into a triple play on Aug. 8, 1988, when Joe Carter did it at Minnesota.

So, when your coach tells you that, as a batter, you should run out every hit until someone tells you that you are out, you should listen! You can bet that Sandy Alomar wishes that he had.

Click here to read another Rule Quiz

Main | Sponsors | Calendar | Rules | Fields | Baseball | Softball | Registration | Board

Last update: 11/01/06