SI_Yankees_vs_Cyclones_08-27-17_2nd_Inning_14

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

, on-deck refers to being next in line to bat. In a professional game, the batter who is on deck traditionally waits in a location in the

foul territory In baseball, a foul ball is a batted ball that: * Settles on foul territory between home and first base or between home and third base, or * Bounces and then goes past first or third base on or over foul territory, or * Has its first bounce occu ...

called the on-deck circle. Being ''on-deck'' only guarantees the batter will get a chance to bat in the inning if there are fewer than two outs, and the number of outs plus the number of

baserunner In baseball, base running is the act of running from base to base, performed by members of the team at bat. Base running is a tactical part of the game with the goal of eventually reaching home base (home plate) to score a run. Batters strive to ...

s (including the one at bat) adds up to fewer than three, because a

double play In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs. In Major Lea ...

or triple play could occur. Additionally, the

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activitie ...

reserves the right to pull the on-deck hitter for a substitute at his discretion. The player next in line to bat following the on-deck batter is colloquially referred to as being '' in-the-hole''.

On-deck circles

There are two on-deck circles in the field, one for each team, either circle can be used by either team, positioned in foul ground between home plate and the respective teams' benches. The on-deck circle is where the next scheduled batter, or "on-deck" batter, warms up while waiting for the current batter to finish his turn. The on-deck circle is either an area composed of bare dirt; a plain circle painted onto artificial turf; or often, especially at the professional level, made from artificial material, with a team or league logo painted onto it. According to

Major League Baseball rules Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

and

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

rules, there are two on-deck circles (one near each team's dugout). Each circle is 5 feet in diameter, and the centers of the circles are 74 feet apart. A straight line drawn between the centers of the two on-deck circles should pass 10 feet behind home plate. In the Official Baseball Rules published by Major League Baseball, the on-deck circle is referred to as the "next batter's box."

Significance in save situations

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weat ...

who comes in to pitch when his team is ahead can earn a save if the tying run is either on base, at bat, ''or on-deck'', and the pitcher then finishes the game without giving up the lead.

References

External links

* {{Baseball Baseball terminology Baseball field