Ground Rule Double Meaning in Baseball

Definition: A ground rule double occurs when a fair batted ball bounces on the ground and then hops over or through the outfield fence. When this happens, the play is immediately dead, and the batter is automatically awarded second base while all runners on base move forward two bases from where they started.

The rule exists because once the ball leaves the field of play by bouncing out, the outfielders can no longer reach it to make a play. Even if a hitter strikes a ball so hard it seems like it would have been a triple or a home run, they must stop at second base if it bounces over the wall. This can sometimes be frustrating for the offensive team if a runner on first base was fast enough to score, but the rule forces them to stop at third base because they are only allowed to move up two spots.

While “ground rule” implies it might change from stadium to stadium, most of these situations are covered by the universal rules of baseball. However, some unique ballparks have specific ground rules for balls that get stuck in ivy (like at Wrigley Field) or hit specific overhead catwalks. In any case, the umpire will signal a ground rule double by holding up two fingers to let everyone know the ball is out of play and the runners must advance.

Example: The outfielder chased the ball to the wall, but it took a high bounce over the fence for a ground rule double, forcing the runner on first to stop at third.