Infield Fly

 What is an Infield Fly?

The infield fly rule is a term that refers to a specific call by an umpire. If a hitter hits a pop-up or shallow, catchable fly ball with less than two outs and first and second base occupied (or bases loaded), the umpire can call an infield fly. That means that the hitter is ruled out, whether or not the fielder catches the ball.

How is the Infield Fly Rule used?

The infield fly rule is meant to protect the batting team by preventing the fielding team from running a somewhat tricky play. If a batter hits a pop fly in the infield with runners on, the fielder could intentionally let the ball land, then immediately pick it up and turn a double play. Because in an infield fly, the hitter is ruled out, the runners are not forced to advance.

Among fans, the infield fly has taken on a bit of mystique, since it is called infrequently and, especially in the ballpark, can be kind of baffling to witness. As a result, people tend to have trouble understanding it and often wonder what the infield fly rule is, but the answer is quite simple.

How to score an Infield Fly?

If you’re keeping score, an Infield Fly is marked as IF on your scorecard

Infield Fly Examples

Here is an example of an infield fly in a game:

Interesting Infield Fly Stats

It’s worth noting that there is one situation where an infield fly can be undone. If the ball lands without being caught, and then bounces into foul territory before crossing first or third base, then the ball is ruled foul and the hitter is not out.

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