Grounders

Grounders is a term with several meanings depending on the context.

In sports, a grounder, or ground ball, is a batted ball that travels along or near the ground after leaving the bat. Grounders are typically fielded by infielders, who aim to stop the ball quickly and make plays at bases. The term is used across baseball and softball to distinguish ground-driven contact from fly balls, line drives, and popped-up balls. Players and coaches discuss grounders in terms of fielding technique, speed, and double-play opportunities.

In fiction and popular culture, Grounders refers to a fictional group in the television series The 100. They are depicted as a coalition of Earth-dwelling clans that survived a nuclear disaster. The Grounders are portrayed as organized into multiple tribes with shared cultural traits, a blended language, and territorial customs. They interact with other survivor groups, notably the spacefaring Skaikru, through both alliance and conflict. The concept of Grounders emphasizes survivor society, adaptive traditions, and the dynamic relationships among competing groups in a post-apocalyptic setting.

Outside these uses, grounders can occur as a general descriptor for anyone who hits ground balls or as a nickname in various media. Context is needed to determine whether grounders refers to a sports term, a fictional faction, or a broader linguistic or cultural usage.