The Bases and Foul Lines: 1860: National Association of Base-Ball Players

Baseball history diagram: Bases and Foul Lines: 1860: National Association of Base-Ball Players. Beginning in 1860, Foul Ball Posts, 6-8 feet high, were placed 100 feet from the 90 foot mark of both first and third base and were in line with Home Base. These were instituted to aid the umpire in determining if a batted ball landed in foul territory. Generally the flag attached to each post contained the colors of the home club. The third and first base foul lines were not specified in the playing rules to be marked on the playing field. The dotted lines in this diagram show the position of the four bases in relationship to each other. Click diagram to return to previous page.