Expert: John McInnis - 7/4/2005

Question
If a ball is hit to the outfield and,on the way, it passes in fair territory in the infield before slicing foul (outside the foul line), is it a foul or fair ball?  I always thought it was foul, but recently an individual told me it was fair...because it was over the bag or inside the bag before reaching the outfield.  I can't find a rule to substantiate this.  I think it's a foul ball, regardless of it's infield flight pattern.

Answer
Hi Maureen,

If the ball travels within the fair area of the infield and then curves beyond the foul line, it is a foul ball once it touches down in the foul territory.  That line extends from home plate to the end of the playing field (some say infinity!!).

If a player should touch or catch the ball before it touches down in foul territory, it is considered a fair ball.  IF the player successfully catches the ball, the batter is out. If the player drops the ball that was travelling into the foul territory, the ball is considered fair and other rules apply (such as the ball rolls under a fence or into a street...).

So, it depends if the ball touches down on the foul side of the line or is touched by a player.  In what you describe, it would be a foul ball and must pass at least with the fair area of the infield.

Yours in baseball,

JohnMc