What is a foul in baseball?

Answer 1

Unlike other sports, like football, soccer, or Basketball, a foul in Baseball has nothing to do with the player. It has to do with the batted ball. If the ball, when hit, lands outside of the dimensions of "fair territory," it's a foul ball.

Here is an excerpt from the MLB rulebook"

A FOUL BALL is a batted ball that settles on foul territory between home and first

base, or between home and third base, or that bounds past first or third base on or over foul territory, or that first falls on foul territory beyond first or third base, or that, while on or over foul territory, touches the person of an umpire or player, or any object foreign to the naturalground.

A foul fly shall be judged according to the relative position of the ball and the foul

line, including the foul pole, and not as to whether the infielder is on foul or fair territory at the time he touches the ball.

Rule 2.00 (Foul Ball) Comment: A batted ball not touched by a fielder, which hits the pitcher's rubber and rebounds into foul territory, between home and first, or between home and third base is a foul ball.

FOUL TERRITORY is that part of the playing field outside the first and third base

lines extended to the fence and perpendicularly upwards.

A FOUL TIP is a batted ball that goes sharp and direct from the bat to the catcher's

hands and is legally caught. It is not a foul tip unless caught and any foul tip that is caught is a strike, and the ball is in play. It is not a catch if it is a rebound, unless the ball has first touched the catcher's glove or hand.

For more baseball rules and links to baseball and softball rules see:

http://www.hitpitchcatch.com/baseball-rules-softball-rules.html#MLBBaseball