Basic Rules of Baseball
From Major League Baseball to neighborhood pick-up games, baseball is a popular sport around the world with a wide variety of rules. Whether you’re a prospective player or a casual fan, it is important to understand the fundamentals of the sport. Read on to learn more about the basics of baseball.
The Objective
Baseball is played by two teams whose goal is to score more than their opponent within nine rounds, or innings, of play. Each inning is separated into the top and the bottom; the two teams will take turns on offense and defense within an inning. The ultimate goal is to reach first base, second base, and third base safely, before finally scoring by touching home plate. Players can run the bases after hitting the ball with a bat. Meanwhile, the defending team will try to prevent batters from reaching the bases safely.
Basics Rules
Below are the basic rules of baseball:
- A baseball game will consist of nine innings. If there is a tie, both teams will continue playing after the ninth inning, with these innings dubbed “extra innings”.
- Nine players will field and nine players will bat. The nine fielding positions are: catcher, pitcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, left fielder, center fielder and right fielder.
- The batting team has three chances, or outs, to score a run. Batters earn outs by failing to put the ball in play and reaching base safely.
- A batter has three chances, or strikes, to put the ball in play. If the batter swings and misses the ball, or if they fail to swing at a hittable pitch, then the batter earns a strike.
The Field and Equipment
A baseball field consists of three main parts: the infield, foul territory, and the outfield. The infield is a square measuring 90 x 90 feet with bases at each corner, with the pitcher’s mound settled towards the center of the square. The territory to the outer left and right of the square is foul territory; if a ball lands here, then the play is dead. The outfield is the territory beyond the infield but in between the two sections of foul territory.
Basic baseball equipment includes:
- Baseball
- Baseball glove
- Bases
- Bat
- Batting helmet
- Cleats
- Catcher protective gear (for ankles, elbow, knee, etc.)
- Jerseys
Scoring
Points, called runs, are scored when a player on the batting team safely reaches home plate. For a batter to get on base, they either must put the ball in play without the opposing team catching the ball, tagging them with the ball, or standing on first base with the ball. A batter can also reach base if a pitcher throws four unhittable pitches. Players advance bases when their teammate hits the ball into play. This continues until the player reaches home plate or the batting team earns three outs.
FAQ
What are the basic rules of baseball?
Two teams will take turns on offense and defense. The offense must reach home plate safely by hitting the ball with a bat, however, they must also reach first, second, and third base beforehand. The defending team is trying to prevent the batters from hitting the ball and reaching all four bases safely. They do so by catching batted balls, tagging players who are off base with a ball, or standing on the base with the ball.
How do you play baseball?
First, each team must have nine players each. During the game, a pitcher will throw a ball to the batter and try to get them to swing and miss the ball. Meanwhile, the batter is trying to hit the ball to put it into play and run all four bases. If there is a ball in play, then the other fielding players will attempt to prevent the batter from reaching base safely.