Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California (14331204090)

Infield is a sports term whose definition depends on the sport in whose context it is used.

Baseball

In baseball, the diamond, as well as the area immediately beyond it, has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, usually grass-covered, ''outfield''. The "diamond" can also refer to the defensive unit of players that are positioned in the region: first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, third baseman. Sometimes it includes the catcher and pitcher who (as a tandem) are often referred to separately as the battery. In baseball the physical infield is where most of the action in a baseball game occurs, as it includes that area where the all-important duel between the pitcher and

batter Batter or batters may refer to: Common meanings * Batter (cooking), thin dough that can be easily poured into a pan * Batter (baseball), person whose turn it is to face the pitcher * Batter (cricket), a player who is currently batting * Batter ...

takes place. The pitcher stands on the pitcher's mound (a raised mound of dirt located at the center of the infield) and from there he pitches the ball to his catcher, who is crouched behind home plate sixty feet, six inches away at what might be called the cutlet of the diamond-shaped baseball field. To the left and right of the catcher are chalk boxes in the dirt called batter's boxes. The opposing team's batter must stand in one of the two boxes and from there he will attempt to hit the pitched ball with his bat. The umpire, who officiates the game, stands behind the catcher. The other important parts of the infield are the three bases,

first base A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

(to the pitcher's left, looking toward home plate), second base (behind the pitcher) and third base (to the pitcher's right). Together, home plate and the three bases form a diamond around the pitcher, with each side of the diamond measuring .

Cricket

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

infield is a central oval on the

cricket field A cricket field is a large grass field on which the game of cricket is played. Although generally oval in shape, there is a wide variety within this: some are almost perfect circles, some elongated ovals and some entirely irregular shapes with l ...

, the reference point for fielding restrictions in short forms of the game; in contrast to the more distant ''outfield''.

Tracks

Infield can refer to a region inside a closed race track used for

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

or auto racing, or to an area encircled by the track of a

roller coaster A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...

References

{{Baseball Baseball field Terminology used in multiple sports