Ground Rules

Every ballpark has a few unique quirks that go beyond standard MLB rules. Whether it is the ivy at Wrigley, catwalks in Tampa, or the Green Monster in Boston, baseball is one of the few sports where the play area itself varies from stadium to stadium. That’s part of what makes baseball different from every other sport: no two fields are the same shape. Unlike the rectangular sameness of football, tennis, soccer, hockey, each baseball stadium asks, nay demands, its own addendum to the game’s rules to establish what is live, what is dead, and what is a home run.

Petco Park has its fair share of unique ground rules, mostly due to the historic brick warehouse sitting right in left field and a detailed right field setup. Here is how umpires actually call plays in these areas.

The Western Metal Supply Co. Building

The building itself is built right into the ballpark, with the left field foul pole physically attached to its outer corner. Because of this layout, fair and foul calls depend on which side of the building the ball contacts.

• A ball that hits the fair side of the building in the air, including the yellow metal facing on the corner, is a home run.
• A ball that hits the foul side of the building in the air, including any non-yellow facing, is a foul ball.
• If a fair ball bounces into the seating area on the fair side of the building and rolls back onto the field, it is a dead ball and out of play. Once it enters that seating area, the play is dead immediately.

Additionally, the recessed batter’s eye in left-center is treated as an over-the-fence target. Hitting it in the air results in a home run.

The Right Field Video Board Wall

Rulings along the top of the video board wall depend entirely on whether the ball is hit on the fly or bouncing.

• A batted ball hit on the fly that strikes the top of the wall, padding or concrete, is a home run. This applies even if it rebounds back onto the field or drops into the stands.
• A ball that has already bounced or been thrown before hitting the top of the wall is ruled a dead ball and out of play.

The Right Field Porch Railing

This is the most detailed ground rule at Petco Park. It centers around a vertical yellow line painted on the metal safety railing and the plexiglass partition mounted above it. As a general rule, balls hit here on the fly are home runs, while bounding balls carry different rulings.

• A ball hit in the air that strikes the railing and bounces back onto the field remains in play.
• A ball hit in the air that strikes the top of the railing and goes into the stands is a home run.
• A ball hit in the air that strikes to the left of the yellow line, above the padding, is a home run.
• A ball hit in the air that strikes on or to the right of the yellow line, above the padding, and clears the padding is a home run.
• A ball hit in the air that strikes the plexiglass above the yellow line is a home run.
• If a ball has already bounced on the ground before hitting that same plexiglass, it is ruled an automatic double (two bases) rather than a home run.

By the Dugouts

The rule along the dugouts is straightforward: any ball resting on or traveling along the warning track next to either dugout railing remains in play. It is not considered out of play simply because of its proximity to the seats.

You may also enjoy:

• Western Metal Supply Co. Building
• Gallagher Square
• Petco Park Firsts