The infield fly rule: the batter is out, but the ball usually stays live.

The ruleset used on this page

This page applies the Official Baseball Rules, 2026 Edition, issued by the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball. That code governs Major League Baseball and the professional development league system operated by MLB. The controlling provisions are the Definitions of Terms entries for “Infield Fly” and “Ordinary Effort,” together with Rules 5.09(a)(5), 5.09(a)(12), 5.09(b)(5) and 5.09(b)(7).

The 2026 rulebook's change summary does not list a change to the infield-fly rule. College, high-school, youth, international and softball organizations publish their own codes; do not assume this MLB procedure controls a game played under one of them.

Every condition must be present

1. Fewer than two outs: the rule can apply with no outs or one out, never with two outs.
2. The required runners: first and second must be occupied; third may also be occupied. A runner on first alone, or runners on first and third, do not qualify.
3. The right kind of batted ball: it must be a fly ball that can become fair. A line drive and an attempted bunt are expressly excluded.
4. Ordinary effort: an infielder must be able to catch the fly with the effort expected of an average fielder at that position in that league, considering the field and weather.

The defence's intention is not a fifth test. The umpire does not wait to see whether someone plans to catch or drop the ball.

The umpire judges the developing fly, not the result

The 2026 definition directs the umpire to declare “Infield Fly” as soon as it appears that the batted ball qualifies. Rule 5.09(a)(5) then makes the batter out. A later catch, muff or untouched drop does not reverse that batter-out ruling if the ball is fair.

The call is for the runners' benefit, but it is not an appeal play. The defence does not have to request it, and cannot create it later by appealing. The rulebook says the umpire's judgment governs and that the decision should be made immediately.

There is no dirt line or fixed distance

MLB defines ordinary effort by the play an average fielder at that position, in that league or classification, should make under the field and weather conditions. The standard is not adjusted downward because the particular fielder is slow, misreads the ball or takes a poor route.

The infield-fly comment rejects arbitrary boundaries such as the grass edge or the base lines. A fly in shallow outfield may qualify if an infielder could handle it ordinarily. A difficult fly over the infield may fail the test. The ball may even be handled by an outfielder: the question is whether an infielder could have handled it as easily. For this rule, the pitcher and catcher count as infielders, as does an outfielder stationed in the infield on the play.

Near a line, “if fair” keeps the ruling conditional

An infield fly must be fair. Near a baseline, the 2026 rulebook tells the umpire to declare “Infield Fly, if Fair.” The batter-out ruling applies if the ball becomes fair; if it becomes foul, it is treated as an ordinary foul ball.

• A declared fly that falls untouched in fair territory before first or third base and then rolls foul before passing that base is foul.
• A declared fly that falls untouched in foul territory before first or third base and then rolls fair before passing that base is an infield fly.
• A fly first touched while over foul territory is foul, even if the fielder later drops it in fair territory.

The first landing spot alone therefore does not always settle the question. Ordinary MLB fair-foul rules determine the ball's status.

The force is removed; tag and retouch risks remain

Because the batter is out, the batter does not become a runner and the existing runners are no longer forced to advance by that batted ball. They may stay on their bases. The ball nevertheless remains alive if fair, so runners may try to advance and fielders may try to retire them.

• If the fly is caught: a runner may leave after the ball is first touched. A runner who left too early must retouch; failure to do so can produce an appeal out under Rules 5.09(b)(5) and 5.09(c)(1).
• If the fly is not caught: there is no catch to retouch after. A runner may advance, but because the force has disappeared the defence generally must tag a runner who is off base.
• If runners stay: dropping the ball does not force them to vacate their bases. This is the protection the rule supplies.

Two protections must not be confused

Rule 5.09(a)(12) separately covers an infielder who intentionally drops a fair fly ball or line drive with first base occupied and fewer than two outs. Ordinarily that act makes the ball dead, puts the batter out and returns runners to their original bases. Merely allowing the ball to fall untouched is not an intentional drop under that approved ruling.

When the infield-fly rule also applies, it takes precedence. Even if an infielder intentionally drops the declared fair infield fly, the ball remains live. The batter is already out and runners remain at risk if they leave their bases. This is why “he dropped it on purpose, so the ball must be dead” is wrong in an infield-fly play.

A base gives a narrow infield-fly exception

Rule 5.09(b)(7) supplies a specific result when a fair infield fly touches a runner before passing through or by an infielder, with no other infielder having a chance to make a play:

• If the runner is touching a base, that runner is not out; the batter remains out. The ball is dead.
• If the runner is off base, both that runner and the batter are out. The ball is dead.

No runners may score or advance on that dead ball except runners forced to advance. In the usual infield-fly situation the batter's out has already removed the force, so that final exception will rarely move anyone.

Fair-foul status decides whether one or two are out

If runner interference is called while an infield fly is still unresolved, MLB keeps the ball alive only long enough to determine whether it is fair or foul. If it is fair, the interfering runner and the batter are both out. If it is foul, the interfering runner is out and the batter returns to bat—even if the foul fly was caught. This is a special result stated in the infield-fly comment, not the normal live-ball outcome.

The infield-fly judgment itself is a field call

MLB's current replay list does not include the judgment that a fly could be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort. A separate reviewable question on the same play may still matter—for example, a qualifying outfield catch/no-catch call, a specified fair-foul call, whether a runner touched a base or whether a runner left early on a tag-up. Reviewing one of those questions does not convert the ordinary-effort judgment into a reviewable call.

The left fielder makes the catch

Situation: one out, runners on first and second. A high fly descends in shallow left field. The shortstop could catch it with ordinary effort, but the left fielder calls the shortstop off and catches it.

Ruling: infield fly; the batter is out. The identity of the eventual catcher does not control. Because the ball was caught, a runner who left before the first touch must retouch before advancing.

First and third is not enough

Situation: one out, runners on first and third. The second baseman stands under a routine fair pop-up and allows it to land untouched.

Ruling: no infield fly because second base was not occupied. Allowing the ball to fall untouched is also not the intentional-drop offence in Rule 5.09(a)(12). The batter becomes a runner, the runner from first is forced toward second and play continues.

A popped-up bunt stays outside the rule

Situation: no outs, bases loaded. The batter attempts a bunt and sends an easy pop-up toward the pitcher.

Ruling: no infield fly, because an attempted bunt is expressly excluded. A catch can still retire the batter, and Rule 5.09(a)(12) may govern if the umpire separately judges that the infielder intentionally dropped a fair fly.

The untouched ball lands foul, then rolls fair

Situation: no outs, runners on first and second. The umpire declares “Infield Fly, if Fair.” The ball lands untouched just foul of the third-base line and spins into fair territory before passing third base.

Ruling: fair infield fly; the batter is out and the ball remains live. The decisive fact is where the untouched ball settles or is when it passes the base, not that its first bounce was foul.

The fly strikes a runner standing on second

Situation: one out, runners on first and second. A declared fair infield fly drops and strikes the runner while that runner is touching second, before the ball has passed an infielder and when no other infielder has a play.

Ruling: the batter is out, the runner on second is not out and the ball is dead under Rule 5.09(b)(7). If that runner had been off the base, both runner and batter would be out.

How to rule the replay in order

1. Count outs: zero or one is required.
2. Check occupied bases: first and second, with third optional.
3. Classify the ball: fly ball, not a line drive or attempted bunt.
4. Apply ordinary effort: use the average infielder standard for that position and league, with field and weather conditions.
5. Listen for the declaration: near a line, keep the batter-out ruling conditional on fair territory.
6. Keep play live if fair: determine catch/no catch, retouch obligations, tags, interference and any ball-runner contact.

What the call does not mean

• “The ball landed in the outfield, so it cannot qualify.” There is no fixed grass or distance boundary.
• “A fielder must deliberately drop it.” Intent is irrelevant to the infield-fly declaration.
• “The ball is dead as soon as the umpire calls it.” A fair infield fly normally remains live.
• “Runners must advance when it drops.” The batter's out removes that force.
• “Any easy pop-up with runners aboard qualifies.” The outs, occupied bases and type of batted ball are mandatory tests.
• “A manager can appeal the call after the play.” The rulebook expressly says an infield fly is not an appeal play.

Governing-body sources and effective version

• Office of the Commissioner of Baseball — Official Baseball Rules, 2026 Edition: Rule 5.09 and Definitions of Terms (“Infield Fly” and “Ordinary Effort”)
• Major League Baseball — Infield Fly glossary definition
• Major League Baseball — Ordinary Effort glossary definition
• Major League Baseball — current Replay Review categories

Checked on 26 August 2026 against the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball's 2026 Official Baseball Rules and MLB's current official rule and replay pages. The 2026 change summary does not amend the infield-fly provisions. Competition, amateur, youth and softball rules may supplement or differ from this MLB professional baseline.