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In baseball, a strike is a mark against a batter during a plate appearance. A batter that receives three strikes during a plate appearance makes an out and is said to have struck out.
There are several ways to receive a strike:
- Swinging at a pitched ball and failing to hit it. (swing and miss, strike swinging)
- Failing to hit a pitched ball which is called a strike—determined to be in the strike zone—by the umpire. (called strike, strike looking)
- Swinging at a pitched ball and hitting it into foul territory when there are fewer than two strikes in the at-bat. (foul ball)
- Bunting at a pitched ball and hitting it into foul territory. This counts as a foul strike regardless of the number of strikes already charged to the batter.
- Bunting at a pitched ball and failing to hit it. This counts as a swing and miss.
- Touching a pitched ball while striking at it with the bat.
- Touching a pitched ball while it is in the strike zone. (Intentional touching of a pitched ball is not allowed; see hit by pitch.)
- Swinging at a pitched ball and foul tipping it into the catcher's glove. (foul tip)
A normal foul strike cannot count against the batter as his third strike; the third strike must be a swing and miss, called strike, touched ball or foul tip.
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