Types of batted balls in baseball

In baseball, a batted ball can be called one of several various things, depending on how it comes off the bat and where in the field it lands.

Related Topics:
Baseball - Batted - Ball - Bat - Field

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There are generally three descriptive categories for balls hit in the air. A fly ball or simply fly is a ball that is hit into the air, usually very high. Fielders attempt to catch fly balls on their descent. Secondly, A pop fly or pop-up is a specific type of fly ball that goes very high and does not travel very long. From the perspective of the fielder, popups seem to come straight down.

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The third type of ball hit in the air is a line drive or a liner. This is a sharply hit, low-flying batted ball. The threshold between a line drive and a fly ball is subjective; liners tend to not visibly arc up and then down.

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A ground ball or grounder is a batted ball which rolls or bounces on the ground in the infield. Bunts are generally not considered to be ground balls; they are a distinct type of batted ball.

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A foul tip, a very different type of batted ball, is a ball tipped off the bat which goes straight to the catcher's glove and is caught.

Related Topics:
Foul tip - Glove

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See the list of baseball jargon for other less technical names for various types of batted balls.

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See also: Ground ball fly ball ratio

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