Is home plate in fair or foul ground?

Fair Ball....

The foul lines meet at the rear tip of the plate. The entire plate is in fair territory.

As are all of the bases BTW,

Why do so many people think home plate should be any different?

SamC

I have often wondered that myself, Sam. Especially at a tournament I was working a few weeks ago when I just couldn't get a coach to understand this basic concept. He kept agreeing that all the bases were in fact in fair territory, but kept arguing that a ball on homeplate was foul. I even indicated where the lines running from first and third would meet at the point of homeplate. He seemed to grasp that, but then stated that a ball sitting on homeplate was still a foul. At this point I merely told him that play stood, and broke the conversation off.

I still don't think that I convinced him, though.

Probably because so many umpires call it wrong

The only thing I can think of is that some visualize the front of the plate as a continuation of the foul lines. Or when a batted ball hits the plate and then the batter, someone started the myth that it was foul because of the plate. Maybe they even knew that a fair ball hitting the batter (in fair ground) is not foul. It's like when a batter is out for being out of the box, everyone always tells him/her that he/she stepped on the plate.

Best of all, it's why they need us. :)

Scott, A man convinced against his will...
is of the same opinion still. :)

Also portions of the batter's box are in fair territory... As you know, batter gets hit by a fair batted ball and he is still in the box... FOUL BALL.

bladeoperator? Unique handle.

Since your question has been answered by several esteem board
members, let me be the first to say "Welcome to the board".

glen