Balls can be fair or foul. If a fair ball lands short of the stands, the batter runs around the bases, and the defensive team can catch the ball and use it to score an out-- get three outs, and the defense gets to play offense, and vice versa .If a fair ball lands in the stands, it counts as a home run, and the offense scores up to four runs, depending on how many batters are on the bases.
If the ball is foul, the pitcher throws another ball to the batter. Rack up enough fouls , and it’s the same as an out.
The miscreant caught a fair ball that was still in play, preventing the defense from possibly obtaining an out.
Spectators in certain areas of the stadium can catch a foul ball that doesn’t quite enter the stands. They can’t catch a fair ball in the same circumstances. It does depend where you sit.
