The infield fly rule is a baseball rule that prevents the defense from getting an easy double play by intentionally dropping a routine pop-up. When it applies, the batter is out even if the ball is not caught, and the runners do not have to advance unless they choose to.
When it applies
The rule can be called only when all of these are true:
- There are fewer than two outs.
- There are runners on first and second, or the bases are loaded.
- The batter hits a fair fly ball, not a line drive or bunt, that an infielder can catch with ordinary effort.
The key phrase is ordinary effort. The umpire decides whether the play is routine enough to qualify.
What happens on the play
Once the umpire calls “infield fly,” the batter is automatically out. If the ball is caught, the play continues like a normal fly out. If the ball is dropped, the batter is still out, but the runners are no longer trapped by a force play just because the defense let the ball fall. That is the whole point of the rule: it stops a fielder from purposely not catching an easy pop-up in order to turn a cheap double or triple play.
Why it exists
Without this rule, a defense could let a shallow fly ball drop, then simply throw to a base and force out runners who had stayed near their original bases expecting the catch. The infield fly rule removes that advantage and keeps the offense from being unfairly punished by gamesmanship.
A simple example
Imagine there are runners on first and second with one out. The batter pops up a soft ball near the infield, and an infielder should catch it easily. The umpire calls “infield fly,” the batter is out, and the runners can decide whether to stay put or try to advance at their own risk.
Common point of confusion
The name can be misleading. The ball does not have to land in the infield for the rule to apply. What matters is whether an infielder can reasonably make the catch with ordinary effort.