The Ultimate Guide on Rules for Infield Fly: How It Works

If you’ve spent any time around youth baseball or softball, you’ve probably seen a game completely derailed by a misunderstanding of the infield fly rule. Umpires get it wrong. Players don’t know what to do. Coaches lose their minds. The infield fly rule is one of the most misunderstood rules in baseball and softball, especially at the lower levels.

What Is the Infield Fly Rule?

The infield fly rule is designed to prevent cheap double plays or triple plays in situations where runners are forced to advance. It applies when there are fewer than two outs and runners on first and second base or the bases loaded. If the batter pops up a fair fly ball that, in the umpire’s judgment, can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, the umpire will call “infield fly, batter is out.”

When the infield fly rule is in effect, runners can advance at their own risk, but they are not forced to run. Even if the ball drops untouched, the batter is still out, and runners don’t have to move unless they choose to. This prevents the defense from intentionally dropping the ball to turn an easy double or triple play.

However, if the base runners leave the bases before the ball is touched and an infielder catches (or outfielder, in some cases) the ball in the air, the runners will be forced out if they’re unable to make it back to the base on time.

Infield Fly Rule and Youth Leagues

If you’re coaching 10U baseball or softball, you probably don’t need to worry about this rule. Many recreational leagues don’t enforce it at all. Even when an umpire calls it at these lower levels, younger players often don’t understand it, leading to confusion and mistakes. I’ve seen umpires hesitate or outright forget to make the infield fly call, and I’ve watched runners panic and take off when they don’t have to.

But, in my opinion, infield fly should be used at all levels, from rec to Major League Baseball, at which a fly ball to the infield is expected to be caught by an infielder AND they can make a proper throw to a competent first baseman. If none of these conditions exist, the infield fly rule should not be in play. However, these need to be league rules and not game-by-game decisions.

Where Can an Infield Fly Be Called?

A common mistake at all levels is assuming the infield fly rule only applies to pop-ups directly over the infield. That’s not true. While most infield fly calls happen in the dirt, the rule doesn’t specify that the batted ball has to stay on the infield. The rule states that the ball could be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, and “ordinary effort,” is subjective to individual umpires.

The infield fly rule can be enforced if the batter hits a ball and it’s popped up into shallow left field, shallow right field, or shallow center field, as long as it’s a fair fly ball that an infielder (or in some cases, even the pitcher or catcher) could get to with ordinary effort. The ball lands fair most of the time, but an infield fly call can be made even if a fair ball starts in fair territory and drifts into foul territory on a baseball or softball field—as long as the ball is not caught, it’s a foul ball but the batter is still out.

When the Infield Fly Rule Doesn’t Apply

There are a few cases where this rule does not come into play:

• If there are two outs, the rule doesn’t apply.
• If there’s only a runner on first base or no force play situation, there’s no infield fly.
• The rule does not apply to a bunt or a line drive, only a pop fly.

What Should Players Do on an Infield Fly?

For runners, the best move is usually to stay put. If the ball is caught, they need to tag up before advancing. If the ball drops untouched, they still don’t have to run, but they can try to advance if they think they can beat the throw.

For fielders, the smart play is to catch the ball and get the out. If they let it fall untouched, the batter is still out, but they risk letting runners advance. However, if they attempt to catch the ball and drop it in fair territory, they should immediately pick the ball up and look for a play. The play is not over, and there may be a chance to make multiple outs.

Final Thoughts

The infield fly rule can be one of the most confusing rules in baseball and softball, especially for youth leagues. Mistakes happen at every level, but they’re more common when umpires hesitate or players don’t understand the rule. Knowing the rulebook definition and how the infield fly rule actually works can save your team from making costly mistakes.

So next time you see an umpire’s judgment call on an infield fly, you’ll know exactly what’s going on—and maybe even help explain it to someone else.