outfield

The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. The term is also used in association football as an adjective describing any position other than that of goalkeeper.

In cricket and baseball

In both baseball and cricket, fielders in the outfield have more ground to cover, 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 up' (in baseball). 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 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).

In cricket, where the ball is far more likely to stay low against the ground than in baseball, 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 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 a slope and on which the ball is moving downhill.

In baseball, 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 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.

Association football

The term is sometimes used in football^{[clarification needed]} to refer to players who play in any position other than goalkeeper. For instance, player availability becomes an issue (say, due a number of players being unable to play through injury and or prior substitution) given that at a high level of football, goalkeepers lack the necessary playing skills to play in a outfield position and conversely outfield players lack the skill to play goalkeeper. Despite this however, in times of crisis, outfield players have been known to play goal, even at the professional level.

See also

• Infield
• Fielding (cricket)
• Baseball field
• Total Football
• Outfielder for more information about the baseball fielding positions in the outfield.

External links

• Outfield Assist Baseball Blog