Foul Tip (Fast-Pitch)
Also known as: foul tip softball, foul tip fastpitch, is a foul tip strike three in softball, foul tip vs foul ball softball, foul tip with two strikes softball
Yes. In fast pitch, a foul tip with two strikes is strike three and the batter is out. The ball must go sharply and directly from the bat to the catcher's hand or glove and be legally caught. It stays live. If she drops it, the at-bat goes on.
What sets fast pitch apart is the running game. Base runners may leave as soon as the pitcher releases the ball, and play stays live after this call. So a runner who took off on the pitch does not need to tag up. She can keep going at her own risk. The rule itself matches baseball, which is linked below.
The catch decides it. The ball has to travel straight from the bat to the glove or bare hand. If it rebounds off her body, it counts only when it touched the glove or hand first. Anything she misses is a dead ball.
A ball with a clear arc is a different play. When she moves under a pop-up with a perceptible arc and holds it, that is a caught fly. The batter is out on any count, and everyone on base must tag up. Height alone does not decide it. A bunt popped straight into the mitt above the batter's head can still count.
This changes how each player thinks late in the count. Hitters often shorten up to protect the plate, but a nick that dies in the mitt still ends the at-bat. High pitches such as a rise ball are often grazed this way, because the barrel clips only the bottom of the ball. A receiver gains by squeezing every pitch, since a firm glove turns light contact into an out. Anyone on base with a green light should keep sprinting rather than stop to look.
Tips by skill level
When you have two strikes, any ball that goes straight into the mitt and stays there can end your turn.
A runner on a steal should keep going after the call. The ball is live in fast pitch.
Example
With two strikes, a hitter barely clips a rise ball. It snaps straight into the mitt and stays there, so the umpire calls her out. The runner from first, who left on the pitch, slides into second safely.
Why it matters
Hitters and base runners need to know the ball is live and the count moves. It can end an at-bat and opens the door to a steal.
Common mistakes
- Thinking a nick held in the glove late in the count keeps the at-bat alive
- Adding to the count when the ball is dropped
- Treating a caught pop-up with an arc as the same play
- Stopping on the bases when the ball is held in fast pitch
Frequently asked questions
Is a foul tip a strike in softball?
Yes. USA Softball adds it to the count when it is legally held. If the count already has two, the batter is out.
What is the difference between a foul tip and a foul ball in softball?
This one goes straight from the bat to the mitt and is held. Anything else hit out of play, or one she drops, is an ordinary foul ball.
Can runners steal on a foul tip in fastpitch?
Yes. The ball stays live in fast pitch, so a runner may advance at her own risk.
Sources
- USA Softball, Official Rules of Softball 2026, Rule 1 Definitions, Foul Tip, p. 20
- USA Softball, Official Rules of Softball 2026, Rule 7 Sec. 4E (each foul tip is a strike; ball live in fast pitch; batter out on the third strike), p. 83
- USA Softball, Official Rules of Softball 2026, Rules Supplement #22 (Foul Ball / Foul Tip: catcher only; arc vs. direct; height does not matter; tagging up), p. 134
Related terms
- Foul Bunt With Two StrikesIn fast-pitch, a bunt that goes foul with two strikes is an out. A foul ball on a full swing with two strikes keeps the at-bat going, but a foul bunt does not. If the bunt is popped up and caught in the air, the batter is out on the catch and the ball stays live.
- Two-Strike ApproachA two-strike approach is how fast-pitch hitters adjust with two strikes. Most shorten the swing, cover more of the zone, and favor contact over power.
- Catcher's RoleThe fast-pitch catcher does far more than catch pitches. They call pitches, manage the pitcher's mindset, control the running game, and organize the defense.
- Foul TipA foul tip is a batted ball that goes sharp and direct from the bat to the catcher and is legally caught. It counts as a strike, and the ball stays live. With two strikes, it is strike three and the batter is out. If the catcher does not hold on, it is an ordinary foul ball.
- Strike Zone – Fast-PitchIn fast pitch, the strike zone is the space over any part of home plate between the batter's armpits and the top of her knees. It is judged from a natural batting stance. A legal pitch that enters that space is a strike, even if the batter does not swing.
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