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Fielders can attempt to make an [[out (baseball)|out]] by catching any ball hit in the air, fair or foul, as long as it is still in play.<ref name=MLBrules/>{{rp|39}} Balls that leave the field of play, such as by going into spectator areas or the [[Dugout (baseball)|dugout]]s, are out of play. For balls on the ground, fielders can attempt to make an out on fair balls only.
A batted ball that clears the outfield fence in fair territory is a [[home run]].<ref name=MLBrules/>{{rp|22}} Since 1931, whether such a batted ball is fair or foul is judged on its position when it leaves the field (that is, where it is as it passes over the outfield fence or wall).<ref name=BA/> Previously, the ball had to be "fair when last seen" to be ruled a home run.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111016451/babe-ruth-gained-four/ |title=Babe Ruth Gained Four |newspaper=[[The Kansas City Star]] |page=12 |date=January 25, 1921 |accessdate=October 9, 2022 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Also since 1931, the ball must clear the fence or wall on the fly to be a home run; previously, the ball could bounce over and still be considered a home run—such a batted ball is now an [[automatic double]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/al-lopez-hits-last-bounce-home-run |title=Future Hall of Famer Al López Hits the Last 'Bounce' Home Run in Big League History |website=baseballhall.org |first=Connor |last=O'Gara |access-date=April 16, 2020 |archive-date=October 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016175844/https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/al-lopez-hits-last-bounce-home-run |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=oldtyme/>
A foul ball normally counts as a [[Strike (baseball)|strike]] unless the batter already has had two strikes assessed against them, in which case the [[count (baseball)|count]] does not change. Treating foul balls as strikes was adopted by the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] in 1901 and the [[American League]] in 1903.<ref name=BA/> There are specific rules for foul tips and foul bunts, which are described below. In slow-pitch softball, a foul ball ''always'' counts as a strike, even when the batter already has two strikes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://static.wbsc.org/assets/cms/documents/5e85a934-d622-2bd8-62f9-854264607589.pdf |title=Official Rules of Softball Slow Pitch |page=57 |publisher=[[World Baseball Softball Confederation]] |date=March 2022 |accessdate=October 9, 2022}}</ref>
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