Tropicana Field catwalk rules, explained: What happens if a baseball hits the roof at Rays home ballpark originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Ever since they were an expansion team in 1998, the Tampa Bay Rays have used Tropicana Field as their home field, but the stadium comes with its own set of rules.
Tropicana Field is a fixed dome stadium in St. Petersburg that frequently provides quirky results due to its architecture. As a result, the conditions there are a little bit different than a typical stadium, as Tropicana Field has its own set of ground rules based on certain parts of the field.
Just like the ivy in Wrigley Field or the Green Monster at Fenway Park, Tropicana Field's catwalks are the defining characteristic of the Rays' home stadium. For players not familiar, though, the catwalks can become a nuisance to try and navigate during games.
Here's a guide to how the catwalks impact baseball games at Tropicana Field.
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Why does Tropicana Field have a catwalk?
Tropicana Field has four catwalks used to help support its structure since it is a domed stadium. Unlike other indoor fields, Tropicana Field has a roof that is not retractable and, therefore, needs support at all times.
The Rays are the only team that plays at a fixed dome field. Every other team with an indoor home stadium uses a retractable roof, but Tropicana Field's fixed dome means it is built differently than those stadiums.
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Tropicana catwalk rules
The rules for catwalks at Tropicana Field are a little complex, as they depend on the trajectory of the ball and the specific catwalk that comes into play. Balls that hit the catwalk can have any of four different outcomes, which makes it so players have to be on alert for ricochets.
What happens if a ball hits the catwalk at Tropicana Field?
There are four catwalks at Tropicana Field, labeled A, B, C, and D, and the ground rules for them are separated into different groupings.
Everything you’ve always wanted to know about Tropicana Field https://t.co/mmmD7XFez6
— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) October 8, 2021
First, there are the lower two catwalks. If a ball hits either of these catwalks while the ball is deemed to be in fair play, the ruling is that the play is a home run. The assumption here is that the ball's trajectory would've likely landed it into the seats.
"Batted ball that strikes either of the lower two catwalks (known as the 'C-Ring' and the 'D-Ring'), including any lights or suspended objects attached to either of those catwalks as well as any angled support rods that connect the 'C-Ring' to the masts that support the 'D-Ring' in fair territory: Home Run," the official ruling states.
HE HIT THE CATWALK 🤯 You need to see where Junior Caminero's 30th homer of the season landed! https://t.co/Kmunkwcqfx
— MLB (@MLB) August 1, 2026
However, the rules are different for the upper two catwalks. In those cases, if the ball is in fair play, then the ball is in play and can be caught for an out or drop in for a hit.
"Batted ball that strikes either of the upper catwalks (known as the 'A-Ring' and the 'B-Ring'), including the masts that support each of those catwalks as well as any angled support rods that connect the 'B-Ring' to the masts that support the 'C-Ring' in fair territory: In Play. If caught by fielder, batter is out and runners advance at own risk," the rule says.
Spencer Jones flies out off the catwalk https://t.co/JywlGz0WfQ
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) October 6, 2026
However, if a ball that isn't ruled a home run lands on a catwalk, then the batter gets two bases. Additionally, if a ball hits any catwalk in foul territory, then it is simply a foul ball.
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