In the case of an infield fly, how is the ruling made regarding the status of the ball?

In the case of an infield fly, the ruling states that the ball is immediately dead and runners must return. This ruling is crucial to protect the base runners from the potential chaos that could arise if fielders were allowed to intentionally drop the ball. The infield fly rule is designed to prevent the fielding team from taking advantage of the situation by dropping the catch to obtain an easy double play or force out at a base. Consequently, when the infield fly rule is called, the ball is ruled dead the moment it is declared an infield fly, ensuring that the play does not develop further and that runners must return to their original bases.

This prevention of unfair advantage is why the ruling stops play and mandates that runners return. The focus of the infield fly rule is to maintain fairness in the game, and by making the ball dead, it ensures the runners are not put in a precarious position where they could be forced out easily. The other options suggest varying degrees of live ball status or conditions for the runners, which is not applicable under the rule since the intent behind the infield fly is specifically to halt play for the safety of the runners.