The outfield , in cricket , baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield . In association football , the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area.
31-439: In baseball, softball and cricket, fielders in the outfield have more ground to cover than infielders, but also more time before the ball reaches them. Catches are most likely to arise from shots that have been 'skied' (in cricket) or 'popped ' (in baseball and softball). If a catch is not possible (for example, the ball has bounced, or is rolling or skidding across the turf) the fielder will attempt to head off, pick up and throw in
62-487: A long time, until well into the 18th century, the scorers sat on the field and increments to the score were known as "notches" because they would notch the scores on a stick, with a deeper knick at 20. The same method was used by shepherds when counting sheep. In the earliest known laws of cricket, dated 1744, one of the rules states: "If in running a Notch, the Wicket is struck down by a Throw, before his Foot, Hand, or Bat
93-409: A run, before the catch was taken, the non-striking batsman at the time remains at the opposite end of the pitch as the new incoming batsman comes to the crease at his former end. This means, unless it is now a new over, he is now on strike and the incoming batsman is not. If the catch taken is pronounced or obvious, the players need not appeal to the umpire; the batsman normally chooses to acknowledge
124-410: A slope and on which the ball is moving downhill. In baseball and softball, a slow, damp outfield is usually considered an advantage for the hitter, in as much as a batted ball will not travel as quickly to an outfielder in the traditional deep position for fly balls, and thus may permit additional advance by batters and other runners on the basepaths. In addition, a wet, slick ball can not be thrown with
155-451: A wicket-keeper. Source: Cricinfo Statsguru . Last updated: 20 June 2024. The non-wicket-keepers with the highest number of catches taken in Test matches are as follows. Note: this excludes any catches made while fielding as a wicket-keeper. Source: Cricinfo Statsguru . Last updated: 20 June 2024. Run (cricket) In cricket , a run is the unit of scoring . The team with
186-444: Is a method of dismissing a batsman in cricket . A batsman is out caught if the batsman hits the ball , from a legitimate delivery , with the bat , and the ball is caught by the bowler or a fielder before it hits the ground. If the catch is taken by the wicket-keeper , then informally it is known as caught behind or caught at the wicket . A catch by the bowler is known as caught and bowled . This has nothing to do with
217-413: Is bowled. If a batsman is out caught, any runs scored off that delivery are voided. If a batsman is caught, the bowler is credited with the batsman's wicket and the catching fielder is credited for the dismissal; there are no catch assists for saving boundaries before a catch, or deflecting the ball to a different fielder in the slips cordon . If the two batsmen cross each other, in attempting to take
248-603: Is over the Popping-Crease, or a Stump hit by the Ball, though the Bail was down, it's out". In the 1774 version, the equivalent rule states: "Or if in running a notch, the wicket is struck down by a throw, or with the ball in hand, before his foot, hand, or bat is grounded over the popping-crease; but if the bail is off, a stump must be struck out of the ground by the ball". These are the earliest known references to running as
279-463: Is possible, but usually arises from a mistake by the fielders, such as an overthrow . The batsman is never compelled to run and can deliberately play without attempting to score. This is known as running between the wickets . During each run, each batter starts off behind one of the popping creases and then must go beyond the other popping crease, running a minimum distance of 58 feet (17.7 m). The striking batsman may begin his or her run from
310-467: Is scored each time the bowler bowls an illegal delivery to the batter, and four extras are scored if the ball reaches the boundary without having been struck by the batter. To complete a run, both batters must make their ground , with some part of their person or bat touching the ground behind the popping crease at the other end of the pitch. Attempting a run carries a risk factor because either batter can be run out , (one method of dismissal ), with
341-413: Is subsequently held by a fielder as a fair catch,..., before it touches the ground. This means that the batsman cannot be out caught if: A catch is not completed until the fielder catching the ball obtains complete control over both the ball and his/her own movement (Law 33.3). Note that if a batsman could be given out both caught and by another method, 'caught' takes precedence, unless the other method
SECTION 10
#1732772169020372-405: Is unnecessary if the batsman hits the ball to the marked boundary of the field . If the ball reaches the boundary having made contact with the ground, four runs are added to the scores of both the batsman (if he had struck the ball) and the team. If the batsman succeeds in hitting the ball onto or over the boundary on the full (i.e. the ball does not contact the ground until it has hit or is beyond
403-413: The pitch (which has a length of 22 yards) and then they each arrive safely at the other end of the pitch (i.e. they cross each other without being run out ). There is no limit on the number of runs that may be scored off a single delivery , and depending on how long it takes the fielding team to recover the ball, the batters may run more than once. Each completed run, if it occurs after the striker hits
434-472: The accuracy of a dry one, also permitting the opportunity for additional advance on the bases. Moreover, a wet field generally slows the footspeed of the defense, so fielders will be able to reach fewer flies and line drives in the air before they go through to the fences. In association football, eleven players are fielded in each match. The goalkeeper remains in the goal, and the remaining ten players are "outfield" players. Caught (cricket) Caught
465-555: The ball as quickly as possible to reduce the distance the runners can run and hopefully to effect a run out (cricket) or tag out (baseball and softball). In cricket, where the ball is far more likely to stay low against the ground than in baseball or softball, the condition of the turf has a major effect on the speed at which the ball travels through the outfield. On a slow outfield the ball decelerates significantly, making fielding easier and batting harder — in particular boundaries are far harder to hit. This usually occurs if
496-407: The ball with the bat (or a gloved hand holding the bat), increments the scores of both the team and the striker. A batter may also score 4 or 6 runs (without having to run) by striking the ball to the boundary . The team's total score in the innings is the aggregate of all its batters' individual scores plus any extras (runs scored regardless of whether the bat or glove hit the ball). One extra
527-415: The batsmen run a single or a three, they have "changed ends", so the striking batsman becomes the non-striker for the next delivery, and vice versa. If the single or three is scored off the last delivery of the over , the striker, having changed ends, retains the strike for the first delivery of the next over. There are rare instances of "fours" being all run when the ball does not reach the boundary. A "five"
558-407: The boundary), six runs are added. If the batsmen are running when the ball reaches the boundary, they can stop, and their team will be awarded either the number of runs for the boundary (4 or 6), or runs the batsmen completed together (including a run in progress if they already crossed when the boundary is scored), whichever is greater. It is also possible for a fielder to stop the ball from reaching
589-512: The boundary, but for the ball to subsequently reach the boundary due to an overthrow by the fielder. In this case, four runs are scored (which are credited to the striker) in addition to any runs the batters had scored by running on that delivery. In addition to runs scored by the batsmen, the team total is incremented by extras (also known as "sundries" in Australia; they are not added to a batsman's individual score), which arise because: In
620-459: The dismissal bowled but is rather a shorthand for saying the catcher and bowler are the same player. (The scorecard annotation is usually c. and b. or c&b followed by the bowler's name.) Caught is the most common method of dismissal at higher levels of competition, accounting for 36,190 Test match dismissals between 1877 and 2012, which is 56.9% of all Test match dismissals in this period. South African wicket-keeper Mark Boucher holds
651-411: The dismissal himself. However, if the ball brushes the edge of the bat, or the catch is taken very close to the ground, or the ball appears to have bounced off the batsman's foot (so it has not touched the ground), or the ball appearing to come off the bat very close to the pitch surface (bump ball), or if the batsman is reluctant to accept that he has been dismissed, then the fielding team has to appeal to
SECTION 20
#1732772169020682-449: The fielding team to prevent another run, for example when it is returned to the bowler or the wicketkeeper . If, when turning for an additional run, one of the batsmen fails to ground some part of their body or bat behind the popping crease, the umpire declares a "short run" and the run does not count but, even if the bat is dropped, runs do count as long as each batsman makes his ground with his bat or person somehow. The act of running
713-402: The moment the ball hits the bat; the non-striker may begin his or her run before the ball is struck, but runs the risk of being run out if they move out of their crease before the bowler delivers the ball. Leaving the crease early, to gain an advantage in running between the wickets, is known as backing up . The batsmen stop running when they judge that the ball is sufficiently controlled by
744-466: The most runs wins in many versions of the game, and always draws at worst (see result ), except for some results decided by the DLS method , which is used in rain-shortened limited-overs games when the two teams have had a different number of opportunities to score runs. One run (known as a " single ") is scored when the two batters (the striker and the non-striker) start off positioned at opposite ends of
775-578: The player had "complete control over the further disposal of the ball". In the very strictest sense, this meant that the player did not finish catching the ball until he threw it away, though the player doesn't have to throw the ball to anyone in particular in so doing. For this reason, even today many cricketers celebrate a catch by lobbing the ball into the air. In a Super Sixes match in the 1999 Cricket World Cup , South African Herschelle Gibbs caught Australian captain Steve Waugh on 56, but Waugh
806-437: The playing surface is uneven or if it is damp from rain or dew. However, on a fast outfield the ball does not decelerate significantly even when rolling along the turf, often racing past the fielders and over the boundary rope. In these circumstances, batsmen find it easier to score runs quickly. Commentators often refer to the ball accelerating to the boundary on fast outfields, but this only physically occurs on grounds with
837-466: The record for the most Test match catches, with 532, while Rahul Dravid holds the record for the most Test match catches by non-wicket-keepers, with 210. This method of dismissal is covered by Law 33 of the Laws of Cricket , which reads: The striker is out Caught if a ball delivered by the bowler, not being a No ball, touches his/her bat without having previously been in contact with any fielder, and
868-506: The run then not being scored, if the fielding side can break one of the wickets (at either end of the pitch) with the ball before the batter near that wicket has completed the run. Scoring runs is the subject of Law 18 in the Laws of Cricket . Boundaries are covered in Law 19. How the Batsman makes his ground is Law 30. Batsmen frequently run singles and also "twos" and "threes". If
899-558: The umpire for this decision. In international competition, if neither field umpire can clearly decide if a catch has been made or not, they may refer to the third (television) umpire for a review. The third umpire may also be used if the Umpire Decision Review System is available and a team wishes to dispute a call concerning a possible catch. Before 2000, the Laws of Cricket defined a catch as being completed when
930-624: The written records of cricket, "run" is as old as "cricket" itself. In the earliest known reference to the sport, dated Monday, 17 January 1597 ( Julian date ), Surrey coroner John Derrick made a legal deposition concerning a plot of land in Guildford that when ( c. 1550 ): "a scholler of the Ffree Schoole of Guildeford, hee and diverse of his fellowes did runne and play there at creckett and other plaies". It may well be that, in this context, "runne" meant running in general. For
961-463: Was given not out when Gibbs was ruled to not have control of the ball when attempting to throw the ball in celebration. Waugh went on to score a match-winning 120 not out to qualify his team for the semi-finals; Australia went on to win the tournament. The wicket-keepers with the highest number of catches taken in Test matches are as follows. Note: this list excludes catches made while not fielding as