Ground rule double

The ground rule double is an umpire’s double award when the ball becomes unplayable according to the ballpark peculiarities. It happens when the shield arrives inside the ivy at Wrigley Park or touches the flagpole at Minute Maid stadium. The rulebook tells the award is always two bases. The only exception is overflow crowds in the cordoned zones during the play. That rarely happens in the modern era. The managers often choose other base awards in this case.

When the ball touches the ground with further bouncing to find the seats, it also happens. That’s colloquial meaning, but it’s untrue because this event has equal evaluation in all ballparks. They have nothing in common with the ground rule double. The commentators use bouncing double or automatic double. Nevertheless of the meaning, it guarantees two bases for the team.