What Are The Rules Of Catching A Foul Ball?

It seems to be an unspoken rule that if you catch a foul ball at a baseball game and you're sitting next to a kid, you're expected to hand it to the toddler. But after seeing something interesting today, I'm wondering how far that rule extends.

As I was watching a baseball game on TV, I saw a routine ground ball hit foul that was quickly gobbled up by a ball boy, who then handed it to an adult fan sitting in the first row.

As the camera lingered on the ecstatic fan, a kid came clamoring down the stairs from a number of rows up and stood expectantly next to the fan who was given the ball.

Now, whether the kid went down on his own accord or was sent by a parent, I don't know. But it seemed to me like a stretch to expect that he would be entitled to the ball just because he was a kid.

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to announce a BlueClaws game at FirstEnergy Park. During the game, my stepmother was right in the crosshairs of a foul ball, which she was able to retrieve. There were a number of young kids in the area, but she stuck to her guns and held on to the ball so I could have a souvenir of my day as a baseball broadcaster.

She might have gotten shade from nearby parents, but she got the ball fair and square and wanted to do a nice thing for me.

I'm a huge baseball fan, if I were to catch a foul ball at a Major League Baseball game, I'd be hard pressed to hand it over.

Is it nice to give a kid a foul ball? Sure.

Should it be expected? I don't think so.

What do you think? Comment below and join the conversation!