In baseball, an out occurs when the defensive, or fielding

Baseball positions

There are 9 fielding positions in baseball. Each position conventionally has an associated number which is used to score putouts...

, team effects any of a number of different events, and the umpire

Umpire (baseball)

In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...

 rules a batter or baserunner out. When a player is called out, he is said to be retired. When three outs are recorded in an inning during a team's turn at offense

Batting (baseball)

In baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for one's team. A batter or hitter is a person whose turn it is to face the pitcher...

, it is said that "the side is retired."

The most common ways batters or runners are put out are by strikeout

Strikeout

In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....

s, fly outs, tag out

Tag out

In baseball, a tag out, sometimes just called a tag, is a play in which a baserunner is out because he is touched by the fielder's hand or glove holding a live ball while the runner is in jeopardy...

s, and force outs

Force play

In baseball, a force is a situation when a baserunner is compelled to vacate his time-of-pitch base—and thus try to advance to the next base—because the batter became a runner. A runner at first base is always forced to attempt to advance to second base when the batter becomes a runner...

, however there are many somewhat rarer ways an out can occur.

• The batter is out when:
  • the third strike
    Strikeout
    In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
    
     is pitched and caught in flight
    In flight
    In baseball, the rules state that a batted ball is considered in flight when it has not yet touched any object other than a fielder or his equipment....
    
    ;
  • on any third strike, if a baserunner is on first and there are fewer than two outs;
  • he bunts foul with two strikes;
  • he is hit by his own fair ball, outside of the batter's box, before the ball is played by a fielder;
  • he commits interference
    Interference (baseball)
    In baseball, interference is an infraction where a person illegally changes the course of play from what is expected. Interference might be committed by players on the offense, players not currently in the game, catchers, umpires, or spectators; each type of interference is covered differently by...
    
    ;
  • he fails to bat in his proper turn
    Batting out of turn
    In baseball, a sequence of nine players come to bat according to their team's batting order, taking turns in an attempt to become a runner and reach base or to help preceding runners to score. Occasionally, one or more batters may bat in the incorrect order, thus violating rule 6.01 in the...
    
     and is discovered in an appeal;
  • he hits a pitch with a foot entirely outside of the batter's box;
  • he steps from one batter's box to the other when the pitcher is ready to pitch; or
  • he is found to have used an altered bat.

• The batter-runner is out when:
  • he fails to reach first base before a fielder with a live ball
    Live ball (baseball)
    In baseball, when the ball is alive , the game can proceed. The pitcher may pitch the ball , the batter may attempt to hit such a pitch, baserunners may attempt to advance at their own risk, and the defense may attempt to put the batter or baserunners out.-Definition:The ball becomes live when the...
    
     in his possession touches first base or tags
    Tag out
    In baseball, a tag out, sometimes just called a tag, is a play in which a baserunner is out because he is touched by the fielder's hand or glove holding a live ball while the runner is in jeopardy...
    
     the batter-runner (except when the batter is awarded first base, such as on a base on balls
    Base on balls
    A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
    
    );
  • a batted ball is caught in flight (fly out); or
  • he hits an infield popup while the infield fly rule applies.

• Any baserunner, other than the batter-runner, is out when:
  • he is forced out
    Force play
    In baseball, a force is a situation when a baserunner is compelled to vacate his time-of-pitch base—and thus try to advance to the next base—because the batter became a runner. A runner at first base is always forced to attempt to advance to second base when the batter becomes a runner...
    
    ; that is, he fails to reach his force base before a fielder with a live ball touches that base;
  • a fielder catches a batted ball in flight, and subsequently, some fielder with a live ball in possession touches the runner's time of pitch
    Time of pitch
    In baseball, the time of pitch is that instant when the pitcher has begun his pitching motion and, by the rules, has committed himself to throwing the pitch. This instant thus occurs before the pitcher actually releases the ball. Once a pitcher commits himself to throwing a pitch, it is illegal...
    
     base before the runner tags up
    Tag up
    In baseball, to tag up is to retouch or remain on the runner's time-of-pitch base until the ball either lands in fair territory or is first touched by a fielder. A runner must, by rule, tag up only when a batted ball is caught by a fielder . After a legal tag up, even if the ball was caught in...
    
     (appeal play
    Appeal play
    In baseball, an appeal play occurs when a member of the defensive team calls the attention of an umpire to an infraction which he would otherwise ignore.-Appeal Play Situations:A runner shall be called out, after a successful live ball appeal, if he:...
    
    );
  • while attempting to reach home plate with fewer than two outs, the batter interferes with a fielder and such action hinders a potential tag out near home plate;
  • he is found to have committed a mockery of the game, for example a stolen base
    Stolen base
    In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
    
     of first from second;
  • he is found to be an illegal substitute.

• Any baserunner, including the batter-runner, is out when:
  • he is tagged out
    Tag out
    In baseball, a tag out, sometimes just called a tag, is a play in which a baserunner is out because he is touched by the fielder's hand or glove holding a live ball while the runner is in jeopardy...
    
    ; that is, touched by a fielder's hand holding a live ball while in jeopardy
    Tag out
    In baseball, a tag out, sometimes just called a tag, is a play in which a baserunner is out because he is touched by the fielder's hand or glove holding a live ball while the runner is in jeopardy...
    
    , such as while not touching a base;
  • he passes a base without touching it and a member of the defensive team properly executes a live ball appeal
    Appeal play
    In baseball, an appeal play occurs when a member of the defensive team calls the attention of an umpire to an infraction which he would otherwise ignore.-Appeal Play Situations:A runner shall be called out, after a successful live ball appeal, if he:...
    
    ;
  • he commits interference
    Interference (baseball)
    In baseball, interference is an infraction where a person illegally changes the course of play from what is expected. Interference might be committed by players on the offense, players not currently in the game, catchers, umpires, or spectators; each type of interference is covered differently by...
    
    , such as when he contacts a fielder playing a batted ball, or when he contacts a live batted ball before it passes a fielder other than the pitcher;
  • he strays more than three feet (.91 meters) from his running baseline in attempting to avoid a tag;
  • he passes a preceding runner who is not out;
  • he is touched by a fair ball in fair territory before the ball has touched or passed an infielder. The ball is dead and no runner may score, nor runners advance, except runners forced to advance. EXCEPTION: If a runner is touching his base when touched by an Infield Fly, he is not out, although the batter is out;
  • he intentionally abandons his effort to run the bases; or
  • he runs the bases in reverse order in an attempt to confuse the defense or to make a travesty of the game.

Scoring

In baseball statistics, each out must be credited to exactly one defensive player, namely the player who was the direct cause of the out. When referring to outs credited to a defensive player, the term putout

Putout

In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...

 is used. Example: a batter hits a fair ball which is fielded by the shortstop. The shortstop then throws the ball to the first baseman. The first baseman then steps on first base before the batter reaches it. For this play, only the first baseman is credited with a putout, while the shortstop is credited with an assist

Assist (baseball)

In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...

. For a strikeout, the catcher

Catcher

Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...

 is credited with a putout, because the batter is not out until the pitched ball is caught by the catcher. (If the catcher drops the third strike and has to throw the batter-runner out at first base, the first baseman receives the putout while the catcher receives an assist.) When an out is recorded without a fielder's direct involvement, such as where a runner is hit by a batted ball, the fielder nearest to the action is usually credited with the putout.

Although pitchers seldom get credited with putouts, they are credited with their role in getting outs through various pitching statistics such as innings pitched

Innings pitched

In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...

 (a measure of the number of outs made by the pitcher, used in calculating his ERA

Earned run average

In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...

) and strikeout

Strikeout

In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....

s.

Further reading

• Official rules for batters, including when the batter is out
• Official rules for runners, including when the runner is out