# Fair ball or foul ball? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 10, 2014, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fair-ball-or-foul-ball/690456 "2014-06-10T04:52:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fair-ball-or-foul-ball/690456/1 "2014-06-10T04:52:33Z")
I’ve never seen this happen, but … Let’s say a line drive goes past first base (or third base) on the foul side of the bag but it hooks or slices and lands in fair territory. Fair ball or foul ball? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fair-ball-or-foul-ball/690456/2 "2014-06-10T05:23:57Z")
As long as it first falls in fair territory, it should be fair. [From the rules](http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/definition_terms_2.jsp): > [@](#): > > A FAIR BALL is a batted ball that settles on fair ground between home and first base, or between home and third base, or that is on or over fair territory when bounding to the outfield past first or third base, or that touches first, second or third base, or that first falls on fair territory on or beyond first base or third base, or that, while on or over fair territory touches the person of an umpire or player, or that, while over fair territory, passes out of the playing field in flight. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fair-ball-or-foul-ball/690456/3 "2014-06-10T05:34:37Z")
Fair ball. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fair-ball-or-foul-ball/690456/4 "2014-06-11T23:52:28Z")
If it’s still in flight and has never touched the ground, then it’s fair if it first touches the ground (fence, player) while it’s fair or if it goes into the stands out of play while fair. (This latter has changed and Babe Ruth and some others lost some home runs that went fair past the foul pole but landed foul). If it is bouncing, then what matters is not where it lands past first or third but where it is as it crosses past third or first. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fair-ball-or-foul-ball/690456/5 "2014-06-16T03:08:34Z")
It’s a fair ball if it’s never hit the ground, but a foul ball if it lands fair, goes foul while in the air, hooks around first/third, and spins fair again. That is to say, if it goes fair-foul-fair, it’s a foul ball, even if it never touches ground in foul territory.