Fair ball

In baseball, a fair ball is a batted ball that has not yet become a foul ball, and that...

• settles on fair ground between home and first base, or between home and third base, or
• is on or over fair territory when bounding past first or third base, or
• touches first, second, or third base, or
• touches the person of an umpire or player while the ball is on or over fair ground (but a batted ball touching the batter in the batter's box, or bouncing off the ground and immediately hitting the bat is foul even if the contact is over fair territory), or
• passes out of the playing field in flight while over fair ground, or
• touches any part of the foul pole, including an attached screen, in flight.

Additionally, in retractable or fixed roof baseball facilities, a batted ball is a fair ball if it:

• strikes the roof, roof support structure, or objects suspended from the roof (e.g., speakers) in fair territory and lands in fair territory, or
• becomes lodged in any of those objects in fair territory and does not fall back to the playing field.

It is possible for a ball moving in foul territory to become a fair ball. Batted balls can also be foul balls or foul tips.

On a fair ball, the ball is alive; runners attempt to advance and fielders try to record outs. A batted ball is presumed to be fair until it is ruled a foul ball or a foul tip.