Batted ball: Difference between revisions

In the sports of [[baseball]] and [[softball]], a '''batted ball''' is a [[Pitch (baseball)|pitch]] that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either [[fair ball|fair]] or [[foul ball|foul]], and can be classifiedcharacterized byas theira trajectoryfly suchball, aspop-up, "groundline ball"drive, or "flyground ball".<ref name=POrate/>

A fly ball is a batted ball hit in an arcing manner.<ref name=MLBrules/>{{rp|147}} For statistical purposes,{{efn|The term "pop-up", while defined on [[MLB.com]], does not appear in MLB's Official Baseball Rules.}} MLB uses the term "fly ball" for such balls that go into the outfield, and a separate term (pop-up, below) for such balls that stay in the infield.<ref name=FBrate/>

Fielders attempt to catch fly balls on their descent, and an out is recorded if the ball is caught before it hits the ground.<ref name="flyout">{{cite web |title=What is a Flyout |url=http://m.mlb.com/glossary/standard-stats/flyout |publisher=Major League Baseball |access-date=6 February 2020}}</ref> A fly ball that does not travel far, deemed an "infield fly", has special consideration as outlined below. Under early baseball rules, a fly ball caught on a bounce also resulted in an out; this was abolished for fair balls in 1864 and for foul balls in 1883.<ref name=oldtyme>{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/cut4/10-bizarre-rules-from-baseballs-past/c-124363454 |title=10 bizarre baseball rules you won't believe actually existed |first=Chris |last=Landers |website=MLB.com |date=May 22, 2015 |accessdate=October 9, 2022}}</ref>

A [[Glossary of baseball (L)#line drive|line drive]] is a batted ball hit into the air that travels with a relatively flat [[trajectory]] ("on a line").{{cn|date=October 2022}} Batters generally have a higher [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] on line drives, as line drives are typically hit harder than fly balls or ground balls and the flatter trajectory makes them harder to catch.<ref name="bill james liner">{{cite web |last1=James |first1=Bill |title=What I Have Learned About Fly Balls and Such |url=https://www.billjamesonline.com/article1023/ |website=billjamesonline.com |access-date=6 February 2020}}</ref>

A ground ball (orcolloquially, ''a "grounder''") is a batted ball that is hit at a low enough trajectory that it hits the ground a short distance after being hit and "rolls or bounces close the ground."<ref name=MLBrules/>{{rp|149}} Ground balls are distinct from line drives and fly balls that hit the ground and bounce afterwards;, the distinction is thatas ground balls are hit ''towards'' the ground, while fly balls and line drives are hit ''away from'' the ground and only hit the ground as an end result.{{cn|date=October 2022}}

===Foul buntBunt===