Baseball is a game between two teams
of nine players each, played on an enclosed field.
THE PLAYING FIELD. The field shall be laid out according to the
instructions below
The infield shall be a 90-foot square. (Youth leagues use a
60-foot square.)The outfield shall be the area between two foul
lines formed by extending two sides of the square from home
plate. The distance from home base to the nearest fence, stand
or other obstruction on fair territory shall be 250 feet or
more. A distance of 320 feet or more along the foul lines, and
400 feet or more to center field is preferable. The infield
shall be graded so that the base lines and home plate are level.
The pitcher's plate shall be 10 inches above the level of home
plate and 60 feet 6 inches from home plate (Youth leagues use 46
feet.) The degree of slope from a point 6 inches in front of the
pitcher's plate to a point 6 feet toward home plate shall be 1
inch to 1 foot, and such degree of slope shall be uniform. The
infield and outfield, including the boundary lines, are fair
territory and all other area is foul territory.
The ball is a sphere formed by yarn wound around a small core of
cork, rubber or similar material, covered with two stripes of
white horsehide or cowhide, tightly stitched together. It weighs
5 1/4 ounces avoirdupois and is 9 1/4 inches in circumference.
The bat is a smooth, round stick not more than 2 3/4 inches in
diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in
length. The most common length used is 35 inches.
Each fielder, may use or wear a leather glove. A FIELDER is any
defensive player.
Objectives of The
Game
The objective of each team is to win
by scoring more runs than the opponent.
A RUN (or SCORE) is the score made by an offensive player who
advances from batter to runner and touches first, second, third
and home bases in that order. The order of the bases is in a
counter-clockwise direction around the square from home to
first, etc.
A BATTER is an offensive player who takes his position in the
batter's box and attempts to hit a ball thrown to him by the
pitcher. A PITCHER is the fielder designated to deliver the
pitch to the batter. The pitcher pitches the ball to the batter
and the batter attempts to hit the pitch and become a runner.
The defense attempts to catch the ball after it is hit and put
the batter and/or runners out.
A PITCH is a ball delivered to the batter by the pitcher.
The CATCHER is the fielder who takes his position back of the
home base and catches the pitcher's pitch when the batter does
not hit the pitch.
A RUNNER is an offensive player who is advancing toward, or
touching, or returning to any base.
The winner of the game shall be that team which shall have
scored, in accordance with these rules, the greater number of
runs at the conclusion of a regulation game.
A regulation game consists of nine INNINGS, unless extended
because of a tie score, or shortened (1) because the home team
needs none of its half of the ninth inning or only a fraction of
it.
If the score is tied after nine completed INNINGS play shall
continue until (1) the visiting team has scored more total runs
than the home team at the end of a completed inning, or (2) the
home team scores the winning run in an uncompleted inning.
| An INNING is that portion of a
game within which the teams alternate on offense and defense
and in which there are three OUTS for each team. Each team's
time at bat is a half-inning.
| An OUT is one of the three
required retirements of an offensive team during its time at
bat. |
|
When three offensive players are
legally put out, that team takes the field and the opposing team
becomes the offensive team.
How a Team
Scores
One run shall be scored each time a
runner legally advances to and touches first, second, third and
home base before three men are put out to end the inning.
EXCEPTION: A run is not scored if the runner advances to home
base during a play in which the third out is made (1) by the
batter-runner before he touches first base; (2) by any runner
being forced out; or (3) by a preceding runner who is declared
out because he failed to touch one of the bases.
How the Game Is
Played
The players of the home team shall
take their defensive positions, the first batter of the visiting
team shall take his position in the batter's box, the umpire
shall call "Play" and the game shall start.
When the ball is put in play at the start of, or during a game,
all fielders other than the catcher shall be on fair territory.
The batting order shall be followed throughout the game
unless a player is substituted for another. In that case the
substitute shall take the place of the replaced player in the
batting order.
| Each player of the offensive
team shall bat in the order that his name appears in his
team's batting order. |
| The first batter in each
inning after the first inning shall be the player whose name
follows that of the last player who legally completed his time
at bat in the preceding inning. |
A batter has legally completed
his time at bat when he is put out or becomes a runner.
A batter may be put out in any of the following ways -
- His fair or foul FLY BALL is
legally caught by a fielder (catch);
| A FLY BALL is a batted ball
that goes high in the air in-flight straight from the bat
without first touching the ground. |
| A CATCH is the act of a
fielder in getting secure possession in his hand or glove of
a ball in flight and firmly holding it; providing he does
not use his cap, protector, pocket or any other part of his
uniform in getting possession. |
After he hits a fair ball, he
or first base is tagged before he touches first base;
| A TAG is the action of a
fielder in touching a base with his body while holding the
ball securely and firmly in his hand or glove; or touching a
runner with the ball, or with his hand or glove holding the
ball, while holding the ball securely and firmly in his hand
or glove. |
A third strike is legally
caught by the catcher;
| A STRIKE is a legal pitch
when so called by the umpire, which -
- Is struck at by the batter
and is missed;
- Is not struck at, but any
part of the ball passes through any part of the STRIKE
ZONE;
| The STRIKE ZONE is that
area over home plate the upper limit of which is a
horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the
shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the
lower level is a line at the top of the knees. The
Strike Zone shall be determined from the batter's stance
as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball.
|
|
The batter becomes a runner and
is entitled to first base without liability to be put out when -
- Four "balls" have been called
by the umpire;
| A BALL is a pitch which does
not enter the strike zone in flight and is not struck at by
the batter. |
| A BASE ON BALLS is an award
of first base granted to a batter who, during his time at
bat, receives four pitches outside the strike zone.
|
He is touched by a pitched
ball which he is not attempting to hit unless (1) The ball is
in the strike zone when it touches the batter, or (2) The
batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball;
The batter becomes a runner and
is liable to be put out when -
- He hits a FAIR BALL;
| A FAIR BALL is a batted ball
that settles on fair ground between home and first base, or
between home and third base, or that is on or over fair
territory when bounding to the outfield past first or third
base, or that touches first, second or third base, or that
first falls on fair territory on or beyond first base or
third base, or that, while on or over fair territory touches
the person of an umpire or player, or that, while over fair
territory, passes out of the playing field in flight.
|
| A fair fly shall be judged
according to the relative position of the ball and the foul
line, including the foul pole, and not as to whether the
fielder is on fair or foul territory at the time he touches
the ball. |
| If a fly ball lands in the
infield between home and first base, or home and third base,
and then bounces to foul territory without touching a player
or umpire and before passing first or third base, it is a
foul ball; or if the ball settles on foul territory or is
touched by a player on foul territory, it is a foul ball. If
a fly ball lands on or beyond first or third base and then
bounces to foul territory, it is a fair hit. |
| FAIR TERRITORY is that part
of the playing field within, and including the first base
and third base lines, from home base to the bottom of the
playing field fence and perpendicularly upwards. All foul
lines are in fair territory. |
The Runner.
A runner acquires the right to an
unoccupied base when he touches it before he is put out. He is
then entitled to it until he is put out, or forced to vacate it
for another runner legally entitled to that base.
In advancing, a runner shall
touch first, second, third and home base in order. If forced to
return, he shall retouch all bases in reverse order, unless the
ball is dead under any provision of Rule 5.09. In such cases,
the runner may go directly to his original base.
Two runners may not occupy a
base, but if, while the ball is alive, two runners are touching
a base, the following runner shall be out when tagged. The
preceding runner is entitled to the base.
Each runner including the
batter-runner may, without liability to be put out, advance -
To home base, scoring a run, if a
fair ball goes out of the playing field in flight and he touched
all bases legally; This is called a HOMERUN
Any runner is out when -
- He is tagged, when the ball is
alive, while off his base.
EXCEPTION: A batter-runner cannot be tagged out after
overrunning or oversliding first base if he returns
immediately to the base;
| A TAG is the action of a
fielder in touching a base with his body while holding the
ball securely and firmly in his hand or glove; or touching a
runner with the ball, or with his hand or glove holding the
ball, while holding the ball securely and firmly in his hand
or glove. |
He fails to retouch his base
after a fair or foul fly ball is legally caught before he, or
his base, is tagged by a fielder. He shall not be called out
for failure to retouch his base after the first following
pitch, or any play or attempted play. This is an appeal play;
He fails to reach the next
base before a fielder tags him or the base, after he has been
forced to advance by reason of the batter becoming a runner.
However, if a following runner is put out on a force play, the
force is removed and the runner must be tagged to be put out.
The force is removed as soon as the runner touches the base to
which he is forced to advance, and if he overslides or
overruns the base, the runner must be tagged to be put out.
However, if the forced runner, after touching the next base,
retreats for any reason towards the base he had last occupied,
the force play is reinstated, and he can again be put out if
the defense tags the base to which he is forced;
EXAMPLE of when a runner is forced to run:
When the batter hits a fair ball he must run to first base. If
a runner is on first base, that runner is forced to run to
second. If a runner is on second and no runner is on first,
the runner at second is NOT forced to run when the batter hits
a fair ball, because first base is vacant.
He is touched by a fair ball
in fair territory before the ball has touched or passed an
infielder. The ball is dead and no runner may score, nor
runners advance, except runners forced to advance.
He passes a preceding runner
before such runner is out;
He fails to return at once to
first base after overrunning or oversliding that base. If he
attempts to run to second he is out when tagged. If, after
overrunning or oversliding first base he starts toward the
dugout, or toward his position, and fails to return to first
base at once, he is out, on appeal, when he or the base is
tagged;
In running or sliding for home
base, he fails to touch home base and makes no attempt to
return to the base, when a fielder holds the ball in his hand,
while touching home base, and appeals to the umpire for the
decision.
First base and home may be
overrun, second and third may not.
Additional
definitions & Information
The BATTER'S BOX is the area within
which the batter shall stand during his time at bat.
The BATTERY is the pitcher and catcher.
A DEAD BALL is a ball out of play because of a legally created
temporary suspension of play.
The DEFENSE (or DEFENSIVE) is the team, or any player of the
team, in the field.
A FORCE PLAY is a play in which a runner legally loses his right
to occupy a base by reason of the batter becoming a runner.
A GROUND BALL is a batted ball that rolls or bounces close to
the ground.
An INFIELDER is a fielder who occupies a position in the
infield.
IN FLIGHT describes a batted, thrown, or pitched ball which has
not yet touched the ground or some object other than a fielder.
OFFENSE is the team, or any player of the team, at bat.
An OUTFIELDER is a fielder who occupies a position in the
outfield, which is the area of the playing field most distant
from home base.
"SAFE" is a declaration by the umpire that a runner is entitled
to the base for which he was trying.
After the ball is dead, play shall be resumed when the pitcher
takes his place on the pitcher's plate with a new ball or the
same ball in his possession and the plate umpire calls "Play."
The plate umpire shall call "Play" as soon as the pitcher takes
his place on his plate with the ball in his possession.
LEGAL PITCHING DELIVERY.
There are two legal pitching positions, the Windup Position and
the Set Position, and either position may be used at any time.
- The Windup Position.
| The pitcher shall stand
facing the batter, his entire pivot foot on, or in front of
and touching and not off the end of the pitcher's plate, and
the other foot free. From this position any natural movement
associated with his delivery of the ball to the batter
commits him to the pitch without interruption or alteration.
He shall not raise either foot from the ground, except that
in his actual delivery of the ball to the batter, he may
take one step backward, and one step forward with his free
foot. |
The Set Position.
| Set Position shall be
indicated by the pitcher when he stands facing the batter
with his entire pivot foot on, or in front of, and in
contact with, and not off the end of the pitcher's plate,
and his other foot in front of the pitcher's plate, holding
the ball in both hands in front of his body and coming to a
complete stop. From such Set Position he may deliver the
ball to the batter, throw to a base or step backward off the
pitcher's plate with his pivot foot. Before assuming Set
Position, the pitcher may elect to make any natural
preliminary motion such as that known as "the stretch." But
if he so elects, he shall come to Set Position before
delivering the ball to the batter. After assuming Set
Position, any natural motion associated with his delivery of
the ball to the batter commits him to the pitch without
alteration or interruption. |
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