In the situation of an infield fly, who must catch the ball?

In the case of an infield fly, the rule specifies that the batter is out, and the ball remains alive only when hit in the infield and can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort. This is designed to protect the base runners from being doubled off by ensuring that an easy catch is made under common circumstances. The purpose of the infield fly rule is to prevent fielders from intentionally dropping the ball to create a potential double play on the runners.

While other fielders, including the pitcher or catcher, may be in position to catch the ball, the application of the rule focuses specifically on an infielder's ability to make the play with ordinary effort. This helps maintain fairness in competitive situations, ensuring that a play does not become more advantageous than it should be due to poor execution or strategic deception by the defenders. Thus, the requirement for an infielder to be able to catch the ball under these conditions is a crucial aspect of the rule.