Here’s a short list of baseball rules so you can get started playing quickly!
- The Diamond: The playing field is a diamond shape with four bases – first, second, third, and home plate.
- Teams: Each team has nine players on the field at a time, divided into infielders and outfielders.
- Innings: A standard baseball game consists of nine innings, with each team taking turns to bat and field.
- Batting: The offensive team takes turns batting. A batter must hit the pitched ball and try to reach base.
- Pitching: The defensive team’s pitcher throws the ball towards home plate from the pitcher’s mound.
- Bases and Running: Baserunners aim to advance around the bases counter-clockwise. A run is scored when a player crosses home plate.
- Outs: Outs are recorded when a team achieves three strikeouts, catches a batted ball before it hits the ground, or tags a baserunner.
- Strikes and Balls: A pitch is considered a strike if the batter swings and misses or if it is in the strike zone. A pitch outside the strike zone is called a ball.
- Foul Balls: A batted ball that lands in foul territory is considered a foul ball, except on a third strike. The batter gets another chance if they hit a foul ball on a third strike.
- Home Runs: A batted ball that clears the outfield fence in fair territory without touching the ground is a home run.
- Substitutions: Teams can make substitutions during the game, replacing players in the field or at bat.
- Umpires: Umpires enforce the rules and make decisions on the field.
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