America's national pastime is baseball. It attracts tens of thousands of fans to ballparks, is the topic of dozens of movies featuring Hollywood icons, and always ranks among the top three television sports together with American football and basketball.
For those unfamiliar with the sport, terms like “strike” and “home run” might sound familiar but remain unclear. That’s why this guide aims to explain the essential rules of the game in a simple and engaging way. And if you’re looking to bet on games, it’s worth exploring some reliable baseball sportsbook reviews to get the most out of your wagers.
The Field and Key Players
A game of baseball is played between two teams, each having nine in-game players and a substitute group. The teams alternate between offense and defense. The primary offense player is the batter — the man holding the bat. He starts from a five-sided base called home plate, which forms a diamond shape with three other bases: first, second, and third. The bases are 90 feet (27.45 meters) apart.
Sprinting out from home plate past first and third bases are two lines, each 75 meters or more, that are at least 75 meters in length and typically greater than 100 meters. These lines form the boundaries of fair play. The infield is within the diamond, and the ground outside is called the outfield.
The center of the infield is the pitcher's mound, which is raised slightly, where the pitcher is stationed. The pitch's goal is to throw the ball into the strike zone — between the batter's chest and knees — in a way that the batter won't be able to hit it. Crouched at the batter's back is the catcher, who must catch the pitch if the batter misses it. A missed swing caught is a strike. On three strikes, the batter is out — called a strikeout.
Balls, Walks, and Batting Strategy
Not all pitches need to be in the strike zone. A ball is called when the pitcher throws outside it and the batter does not swing. Four balls count as a walk — the batter gets to advance automatically to first base. But if the batter swings and misses an outside pitch of the strike zone, it is still a strike.
When he strikes the ball while the batter is making contact, he is now a batter-runner and runs to first base. The opposing team can stop his advance with a variety of techniques. Besides the catcher and pitcher, seven other fielders patrol the bases and outfield, most notably a shortstop between second and third base.
Some of the most important defensive plays are:
- Force out: a fielder gets to the base ahead of the runner with the ball.
- Ground out: a fielder throws the ball to the base ahead of the runner, and it's caught by the base before the runner arrives.
- Fly out: a fielder catches the ball prior to the ground being touched.
- Tag out: a fielder tags the runner with the ball when he's not on a base.
If the batter-runner gets to first base without being put out, he is a base runner, and another batter is at the plate. A run is earned when a base runner goes around the three bases and back to home plate. If three outs are reached, the teams switch positions.
Foul Balls, Home Runs, and Base Stealing
In order to stay in the game, the ball must be hit inside the lines. Outside, it's a foul ball. The runners return to the bases, and the batter gets a strike — unless it's the third strike, in which case a foul won't count unless caught on the fly.
Home run is baseball's finest symbolic play. The batter and all runners on base score automatically when the batter hits the ball out of the outfield. When bases are loaded, the result is a grand slam — four runs on a single play.
Base runners can also try to steal bases by running toward the following base when the pitcher is hurling. When the defense notices and is fast enough to react, they can tag out the runner.
Game Structure and Extra Innings
A game is divided into innings — most commonly nine. Both teams field and bat each time through an inning. There are no ties to a baseball game. In the event that teams are tied after nine innings, there are additional innings played until one team is victorious. Some of the games played have lasted over seven hours.
Global Appeal and Similar Sports
Although the baseball rules may look intimidating at first, the game is rich in strategy, timing, and suspense. The game has forms in other parts of the world, such as cricket, softball, and lapta. The pitcher-batter relationship is what makes the game so thrilling. Stars sign multi-million-dollar deals in professional play, especially in Major League Baseball (MLB).