On-deck

In a professional game, the batter who is on deck traditionally waits in a location in the foul territory called the on-deck circle.

Being on-deck only guarantees the batter will get a chance to bat in the inning if there are fewer than two outs, and the number of outs plus the number of baserunners (including the one at bat) adds up to fewer than three, because a double play or triple play could occur.

The player next in line to bat following the on-deck batter is colloquially referred to as being in-the-hole.

The on-deck circle is either an area composed of bare dirt; a plain circle painted onto artificial turf; or often, especially at the professional level, made from artificial material, with a team or league logo painted onto it.

A straight line drawn between the centers of the two on-deck circles should pass 10 feet (3 m) behind home plate.