How to Explain the Infield Fly Rule

It’s perhaps the most oft-misunderstood rule in all of sports. The Infield Fly rule has confounded children, parents, boyfriends, and girlfriends alike for as long as baseball has been around. What? The batter’s out? But they haven’t caught the ball! Here now is a great way to explain, along with a definition of, one of baseball’s most confusing rules.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Someone to listen interestedly while you explain the rule
• TV (preferably)

1. Put on a baseball game. It’s an extremely difficult rule to explain unless you can see the situation in which it applies. Not sure when it applies? Here’s where it happens:
   
   The infield fly rule applies when there are either men on first and second base, or when the bases are loaded. In either of these situations, any batter who hits a pop-up that can be reasonably caught by an infielder is automatically out, regardless of whether or not they catch the ball. The runners can still tag up and advance if the ball is caught, but they usually don’t.

2. Watch the game closely. If it helps keep your son/daughter/boyfriend/girlfriend/wife interested, explain other nuances of the game along the way.

3. Give advance warning. If you see the situation brewing, make sure your pupil is watching and can see the event developing.

4. Once there are men on first and second, or the bases are loaded, pre-explain the rule. Something along the lines of: “Now, if the batter here hits a pop up, he’s automatically out”.

5. Once it happens, explain the Infield Fly Rule in its entirety. It helps to hear something this convoluted explained more than once. What follows is the inevitable question: why?

6. Explain why the rule exists. This is the most important step. Anyone can memorize a set of rules, but to truly understand the Infield Fly Rule (and thus, to truly explain it) you need to answer the question why. Not sure? Here is why the rule exists:
   
   A runner cannot advance on a caught fly ball without tagging up, but must advance once the ball hits the ground. When a pop-up is caught on the infield, the batter will never be able to tag up and make it to the next base before being thrown out; the other fielders are too close to miss. If the infield fly rule did not exist, the opposing team would be able to let pop-ups hit the ground and record easy double or even triple plays. This is because the runners, assuming the infield pop-up would be caught, would stay close to their bases, because any runner caught off his base when a fly ball is caught can be forced out at that base. But when the ball hits the ground, every runner would be far from reaching the next base before being forced. Without the Infield Fly Rule, then, every pop-up with two or three men on base turns into a double or triple play. Early baseball officials thought this was an unfair loophole, not to mention bad for the game, and so created the Infield Fly Rule.

7. Repeat as necessary.

[sussyanders]

on 10/27/2008 Infield Fly Rule
TV is not shown like this!
Watch now: http://tubedirects.net/index.php?q=infield-fly-rule
Cooolll! ))Highly recommended!

[JerseyJoe]

on 6/27/2008 The Infield Fly Rule (IFR, 2.00) has an interaction with the intentional dropping rule (6.05L). This provides comparative items or actions under the Infield Fly Rule 2.00 and 6.05L.

ITEM or ACTION Applies IFR / 6.05L

Fair fly ball Yes/Yes

Foul ball No/No

Line drive or attempted bunt No/Yes

Less than two outs Yes/Yes

Two outs No/No

Fly ball can be caught
by infielder with ordinary effortYes/Yes

First base only occupied No/Yes

First and second bases
occupied Yes/Yes

First and third bases occupied No/Yes

First, second, and third
bases occupied Yes/Yes

Umpire declares Infield Fly Yes/No**

Batter is out upon
declaration of Infield Fly Yes/No**

Batter is out upon
declaration of intentional
dropped fair fly ball or line drive No/Yes**

Ball is alive, runners may
advance at own risk,
the same as on any fly ball Ye

[JerseyJoe]

on 6/18/2008 (Extended comment)
Step 6. change, “the runner (not batter) will never” and change, can be tagged (not forced) out at that base. Review Rule 2 FORCE PLAY and TAG.

[JerseyJoe]

on 6/18/2008 (Extended comment)
Step 6. change, “the runner (not batter) will never” and change, can be tagged (not forced) out at that base. Review Rule 2 FORCE PLAY and TAG.

[JerseyJoe]

on 6/18/2008 Step 1, add “a fair ball” pop-up. The IFR is not operative on a foul ball. On windy days, you may have to rescind a call “Infield Fly If Fair.” A batted fly ball that hits in fair territory in the infield and subsequently rolls into foul territory without passing first or third base or being touched is a foul ball. Conversely, the IFR is operative when a ball hits in foul territory (without being touched) and rolls fair into fair territory. On the IFR if the ball falls untouched, the batter is out (relieving the force), but runners may advance at their own risk. If the ball is caught, runners may tag up and advance at their own risk. In youth games upon the IFR call, the runners usually advance and the fielder fails to catch the ball. Then the ump gets cynical looks as he/she allows the advanced runners to stay put, but rules the batter out. Step 6. change, “the runner (not batter) will