Foul Territory & Base Hits: Understanding Baseball Rules

Question
in a recent game a ball was hit and hit the third base
unfortunately the base had been staked incorrectly and the base was in foul territory normally i understand that if the base is hit its fair - how about in this case where the ball struck a base in foul territory thanks for your help


Answer
Franklin,

The rules state that the bases are in fair territory. The foul lines are used only as a guide to assist the umpires in determining the fair/foul portion of the field. Therefore, the ball should have been fair.

In instances where umpires see a problem with the foul line, there are three things I've seen done:
1. Have the lines redrawn before the game starts
2. Have the lines removed near the bases
3. Tell the coaches during ground rules how the lines will play

In most cases, it's a combination of 2 and 3. The umpire will remove the line from about 5-10 feet from the base. During ground rules, the umpire will tell the coaches the line will be determined by the umpire during those situations.