grounder

A grounder, also called a ground ball, is a ball hit by a batter that travels along or near the ground in baseball and softball. Grounders are distinguished from fly balls and line drives by their low trajectory and tendency to bounce after contact with the infield or dirt.

In play, a grounder is typically fielded by infielders who move quickly to the ball, pick it up off the dirt or grass, and throw to a base to retire a batter or runner. Common outcomes include outs at first base, double plays when play is made on a runner or batter, and infield hits when fielders cannot reach the ball in time. Grounders can vary in speed and spin, such as a slow grounder that tricks fielders or a sharply hit bunt that stays down the line.

Strategically, teams may employ grounders to advance runners with a "productive out," or to prevent an outfielder from making a stronger play on a fly ball. Groundouts are recorded as outs for the pitcher and batter in official statistics, while ground balls that reach base are credited as base hits.

Related terms include the ground-rule double, which occurs when a ground ball bounces out of play under stadium rules, and the concept of GB (ground balls) in baseball statistics, used to measure a pitcher’s tendency to induce ground balls.