Is there an infield fly rule in the major leagues?

If the ball is near thebaselines, 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. …

What is the infield fly rule in MLB baseball?

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 first and second or first, second and third base are occupied, before two men are out.

What are the rules of infield fly?

1) There must be less than 2 outs; 2) There must be runners on first and second OR first, second, and third; 3) The fly ball cannot be a bunt or a line drive; 4) An infielder must be able to catch the ball with ordinary effort.

Does the umpire have to yell infield fly?

The umpire is required to yell “Infield fly, if fair” and will typically raise one arm straight up to signal to everyone that the rule is in effect. If the umpire believes the catch is a sure thing, he can call the play as an infield fly and declare the batter out, even if the ball was not caught.

Can you call infield fly on a foul ball?

Foul balls If the ball is not caught and ends up foul (including if it lands fair and then rolls foul before passing first or third base without being touched by a fielder), the infield fly call is canceled, and the play is treated as an ordinary foul ball.

Can an outfielder catch an infield fly?

“Catchable by an infielder” Similarly, infield fly may also be called if an outfielder runs into the infield to catch a fly ball, if it could have been caught by an infielder with ordinary effort. It may be helpful to think of it as the “infielder fly rule”.

Why does baseball have the infield fly rule?

Infield fly rule. The infield fly rule is a rule in baseball intended to prevent infielders from intentionally dropping pop-ups in order to turn double plays. Without this rule, a defense could easily turn a pop fly into a double or triple play when there are fewer than two outs with runners at first and second base or when the bases are loaded.

What does the “infield fly” rule mean?

(Full Explanation) The infield fly rule is a unique rule in baseball . 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 an easy pop out. The infield fly rule is a judgment call that umpires make based on a few factors of the specific play in question.

What happens if you drop an infield fly rule?

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. April 15, 2014

When does the infield fly rule come into play?

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 rule was first introduced by the National League in 1895 and only applied with one out.