double play

A "double play" in baseball is a defensive maneuver where two offensive players are put out during the same continuous action. This is a crucial way for the fielding team to prevent the opposing team from scoring.12

A common type of double play involves a force play. When a batter hits a fair ball, any runner on base who is forced to advance to the next base can be put out if a fielder touches that base with the ball before the runner arrives. For instance, if a runner is on first base and the batter hits a ground ball, a fielder can throw the ball to second base to get the runner advancing from first, and then throw to first base to get the batter. This results in two outs on one play. Double plays can also occur at home or third base, but the second-to-first double play is the most frequent.2