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Baseball Rules & Game Play |
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A single game is played by two teams, who, during the
course of a game, alternate playing offense and defense. Each alternation is
called an "inning", and there are usually 9 innings in a game. A "season" is
played over the course of many months by a group of teams, called a league. Each
team in the league plays all the other teams in the league a fixed number of
times, though it is not always in round robin format. At the end of the season,
the team with the most wins is the winner of the regular season.
The goal of a game is to score more points, which are called "runs" in the
language of baseball, than the other team. Each team, usually composed of 9
players, attempts to score runs while on offense, by completing a tour of the
bases, which form a square-shaped figure called a "diamond." A tour starts at
home plate and proceeds counter-clockwise. See the image below.
There are four basic tools of baseball: the bat, the ball, the mitt, and the
field.
- The bat is an offensive tool, either made of wood or aluminum depending on the
game being played. It is a long, hard stick, about 2 inches (5 centimeters) in
diameter, except at the handle, which is about 1-inch (2.5 centimeters)
diameter.
- The ball in baseball is about the size of a fist and white (though other
colors can be used) with red lacing. Softball uses a white or yellow ball
(usually) about the size of two fists with white lacing.
- The glove or mitt is a defensive tool, made of leather, worn on the players
hand to aide in catching the ball. It takes various shapes to meet the unique
needs of the defensive position of the player.
- The game is played on a field, whose dimensions vary depending on the age of
the players. However, every field has a diamond, with bases at its corners,
which the offensive players circumnavigate, as mentioned above. The part of the
field closest to the bases is called the infield, and the part most distant from
the bases is called the outfield.
Baseball is played in a series of (usually 9) "innings", each of which is
divided into two halves (called "top" and "bottom" in that order: hence the
phrase bottom of the ninth). In each half-inning, the offensive team attempts to
score runs until three of its players are put "out" (removed from play by
actions of the defensive team; discussed below). After the third out, the teams
switch roles for the other half of the inning. The "home" team plays defense
first, and so plays defense in the top of every inning and offense in the bottom
of every inning.
At the beginning of each half-inning, the nine defensive players arrange
themselves on the field. One defensive player is called the "pitcher" and stands
at the center of the diamond on a designated spot, called the mound or the
rubber - a reference to the rectangular rubber plate at the center of the mound.
Another defensive player is called the "catcher" and stands on the other side of
home plate from the pitcher. Typically four more players are arranged along the
lines between first, second, and third bases, and the other three are in the
outfield.
Runs are scored as follows: starting at home plate, each offensive player
attempts to earn the right to run (counterclockwise) to the next base (corner)
of the diamond, then to touch the base at that corner, continuing on to each
following base in order, and finally returning to home, whereupon a run (point)
is scored. Often an offensive player will achieve a base but be forced to stop
there; on future plays (usually in concert with other runners), the player may
continue to advance, or else be put out.
A play begins with an offensive player called a "batter" standing at home plate,
holding a bat. The batter then waits for the pitcher to throw a "pitch" (the
ball) toward home plate, and attempts to hit the ball with the bat. If the
batter hits the ball into play, the batter must then drop the bat and begin
running toward first base. (There are other ways to earn the right to run the
bases, such as "walks" or being hit by a pitched ball. See baseball for more.)
The catcher catches pitches that the batter does not hit (either by choice or
simple failure to make contact) and returns them to the pitcher.
If the batter fails to hit a well-pitched ball (one within the strike zone) or
if he hits it so that it goes outside of the field of play it is called a
"strike". (However, if the ball is hit over the outfield and exits the field
there, it is instead (one type of) a "home run": the batter and all other
offensive players on bases may complete a tour of the bases and score a run.
This is the most desirable result for the batter.)
When a batter begins running, he or she is then referred to as a "runner".
Runners attempt to reach a base, where they are "safe" and may remain there. The
defensive players attempt to prevent this by putting the runners out using the
ball; runners put out must leave the field (returning to the "bench" or
"dugout", the location where all the other inactive players and managers observe
the game).
There are many ways that the team on defense can get an offensive player out.
For the sake of simplicity, only the five most common ways are listed here:
- The "strikeout": occurs when the batter acquires three strikes before hitting
the ball (within the field); the batter never becomes a runner. (Hence the
phrase "Three strikes and you are out".)
- The "ground out": when the batter hits the ball but a defensive player
retrieves it after it has touched the ground and throws it to another defensive
player standing on first base before the runner arrives there.
- The "forceout": occurs when a runner is required to run to advance bases
ahead of a teammate's hit but fails to reach it before a defensive player
reaches the base with the ball. The "ground out" is actually a special case of
"force out."
- The "flyout": if a defensive player catches a hit ball before it touches the
ground, the batter (now a runner) is out (regardless of his location).
- The "tag out": while between bases, a runner is out if a defensive player
touches him with a held ball.
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