Foul tip vs. foul ball: is a foul tip a strike?
A foul tip goes off of the bat sharp and direct to the catcher, and he has to catch it before it touches the ground. The difference between a foul ball and foul tip matters.
A foul ball and a foul tip can look like nearly the exact same thing. But the difference matters.
A foul tip is called if a batter nicks the ball and it goes sharp and direct to the catcher, and he catches it. The ball can’t hit the ground before it reaches him. If it pops out of his mitt, he can still catch it, as long as he gets it in his hand or mitt before it touches the ground. If it hits the ground, it’s a foul ball. The codes split on one detail. In Little League and high school, the ball has to hit the catcher’s hand or mitt first. Under the pro rules, a sharp tip that rebounds off his mask or chest protector and is caught is still a tip.
Let’s consider a couple of scenarios where this comes up frequently…
The first is with two strikes. The batter nicks the ball, and it goes straight back to the catcher. If the ball never hits the ground and the catcher holds on, it’s a foul tip and strike three. If the ball bounces first, or falls out of the mitt and hits the ground, it’s a foul ball. The batter stays alive.
While most fans and coaches understand the basics of a foul tip with two strikes, confusion is most common with a runner on the move.
The runner from first takes off on the pitch. The batter ticks the ball, and it hits the dirt. It’s a foul ball, and the runner must return to his base.
But in that scenario, what if the catcher holds on? Regardless of the count, it’s a live ball. The runner is free to steal the base. The catcher is free to throw him out.
This is where the confusion about foul tips is most frequently vocalized. Following a foul tip, the catcher throws to second. If the runner is ruled safe, fans on the side of the defense scream, “It’s a foul ball!” If the runner is ruled out, fans for the offense scream the same thing (and both of them are wrong).
A foul tip is treated like a swinging strike. With two strikes, it’s a strikeout. Either way, runners are free to advance at their own risk.
Which rulebook? Official Baseball Rules, Definitions of Terms, 'Foul Tip': a batted ball that goes sharp and direct from the bat to the catcher and is legally caught. Current OBR has no hand-or-mitt-first requirement, so a sharp, direct tip that rebounds off the catcher's mask or chest and is caught before it touches the ground is a foul tip. Little League 2.00 and NFHS 2-16-2 keep the requirement: if the ball touches the mask, chest or anything other than the catcher's hand or mitt first, it's a foul ball, not a tip. In every code, a foul tip on strike three is a strikeout.
Runner on first, no outs, and he’s going on the pitch. The batter nicks the ball, it goes straight to the catcher, and the catcher drops it. The runner reaches second. Does he have to go back?
Still have a question? Ask Coach Fungo.
“If the catcher holds onto a foul tip, the ball is live, and a runner who's stealing is free to keep going.”
Does the pitcher have to come set before a pickoff?
The stop is required before a pitch, not before a throw to a base. From the stretch, he can lift his hands and throw to first without ever stopping, as long as he steps toward the base.
“If he steps toward first before he throws, a quick pickoff without a stop is legal.”
Tie goes to the runner: is that a rule?
There's no such thing as a tie, and no rulebook mentions one. The umpire decides which happened first, the tag or the foot, every single time.
“Umpires are trained that there is no such thing as a tie. He has to call it one way or the other.”
The rules quiz
Ten questions, two minutes. Would you have gotten the call right?
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