Summary
Baseball is played between two teams of nine, aiming to score more runs than the opponent by advancing around four bases (first, second, third, and home) over nine innings. The visiting team bats first ("top" of the inning), while the home team bats second ("bottom" of the inning). Three outs are required to end a half-inning, with 3 strikes for a strikeout and 4 balls for a walk.
Key Rules and Gameplay
- Objective: Score runs by touching all bases in order and returning to home plate.
- Innings: A standard game consists of nine innings (seven for high school/amateur).
- Outs: The defense records three outs through strikeouts, flyouts (catching a ball before it hits the ground), tag outs, or force outs.
- Pitching: The pitcher must stand on the pitcher's plate, 60 feet 6 inches from home plate. Pitchers cannot use foreign substances or touch their mouth while on the mound.
- Batting: A batter has three strikes to hit the ball into fair territory. A ball is "fair" if it stays between the first and third-base foul lines.
- Base Running: Runners must touch bases in order and cannot pass each other. They must avoid fielder interference.
- The Designated Hitter (DH): A tenth player who hits in place of the pitcher.
- Force Out: When a fielder with the ball touches a base that a runner is forced to advance to.
- Tag Out: A fielder must touch a runner with the ball in their glove to record an out when the runner is not on a base.
- Dead Ball Areas: If a fielder throws the ball out of play, runners are typically awarded two bases
Common Violations
- Running Lane Violation: The runner fails to stay within the designated lane when running to first base.
- Obstruction: A fielder blocks a base path without holding the ball.
- Look Back Rule: If the pitcher has the ball in the circle, base runners must immediately choose to advance or retreat.