SUMMARY the sport:
Rule: |
Descriptions: |
The Bat |
Round like a baton with a tapered handle ending at a knob. It is no more than 2.625 inches in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches (1067 mm) in length. It typically weighs no more than 36 ounces (1 kg). |
Protective Gear |
Defense: gloves in non-throwing hand, may use hard plastic headgear and padding. Catchers use plastic shinguards, padded chest protectors, and wire masks molded into a hard plastic shell. Batters must use hard plastic helmet, may use shiguards, glove |
The Ball |
The core of the ball is cork, rubber or a mixture of the two and is sometimes layered. Legal weight for the ball in baseball is not to be under 5 ounces but never to be over 5 and a 1/4 ounces. A baseball is 9 to 9.25 inches in circumference. The color of the ball is white with red leather stitching. |
Distance Between Pitcher & Batsman |
60', 6" or 18.4 m (approx. 52 ft or 15.8 m between pitcher's starting point and batter at delivery). The Pitcher's area is a raised sloping mound, radius of 9 feet (2.7 m), maximum height 10 inches (25 cm) |
Number of Umpires |
Usually four umpires in most games; up to six (and as few as one) may officiate depending on the league and the importance of the game. |
Number of Players |
Consists of 11 players. Teams may use up to the balance of their rosters as substitutes without restriction during games. |
Pitches Allowed per Batsman |
Only limited by the number of balls bowled in a match. A batsman who neither strikes out, walks, nor hit by a pitch may continue to hit until one of these things occurs. |
Maximum Runs Scored of a Pitch |
Nine (Home Run over the boundary with all bases occupied -- aka Grand Slam). A player scores a run for every base he/she reaches after hitting the ball. They will not subsequently score when moving around the bases on another player's hit unless 1) they complete a successful circuit of all four bases (i.e. reach home plate), 2) they are given an intentional walk, or 3) they manage to steal a base. The ball can be hit (and scored off) in any direction |
Batting Order |
Predetermined |
Length of Match |
Each team gets 2 innings of 10 overs each. An over is 6 consecutive pitches (excluding excessively wide deliveries). A Half-inning ends either 1) the team batting last reaches the amount of runs needed to win the game, 2) the predetermined amount of overs has been bowled (10 per half-inning), or 3) when all 11 batsmen have been dismissed. |
The Field of Play |
BC Composite Rules is played on a field with a minimum width of 420 feet (128.0 m) and length 426 feet (129.8 m) assuming an elliptical shape. The distance between the bases is 90 feet. |
Delivery of the Ball |
As in North American baseball, it is delivered overhand, sidearm, or underarm, but is called bowling. |
The Field:
- Diameter = 450-500' (137.-150m).
- Home Plate = A five-sided slab of whitened rubber, 17 inches square with two of the corners removed so that one edge is 17 inches long, two adjacent sides are 8½ inches and the remaining two sides are 12 inches and set at an angle to make a point.
- Bases = either 1) a slab of rubber or 2) 3.5 ft. (1.066m) cylindrical, hexagonal or octagonal poles, from 2 to 3in. (0.076m) max. in diameter.
- Bowling Mound = 18' (5.5m) in diameter, with the center 59' (18m) from the rear point of home plate, on the line between home plate and second base. The front edge of the pitcher's plate or rubber is 18"(46cm) behind the center of the mound. 6" (15.2cm) in front of the pitcher's rubber the mound begins to slope downward. The top of the rubber is to be no higher than 10" (25.4cm) above home plate. The mound must be placed as close to the center of the pitch as possible. Teams can also use portable pitching mounds.
- Distance Between The Bases = 27.4m (90').
- Distance between Bowler & Batsman = 60' 6" or 18.4 m (approx. 52' or 15.8 m between pitcher's starting point and batter at delivery).
- Batsman's Box = the place where the batter stands when ready to receive a pitch from the pitcher. It is usually drawn in paint on the grass surrounding home plate. There are 2 batsman's boxes, one on each side of home plate. The batsman's boxes are 4' wide and 6' long. The batter's boxes are centered lengthwise at the center of home plate with the inside line of each batter's box 6" from the near edge of home plate. A right-handed batter would stand in the batter's box on the left side of home plate from the perspective of the catcher and umpire. A left-handed batter would stand in the batter's box to their right.
- The bat is round like a baton with a tapered handle ending at a knob. It is no more than 2.625" in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42" (1067 mm) in length. It typically weighs no more than 36oz (1 kg). Both metal and wooden bats are allowed.
- The core of the ball is cork, rubber or a mixture of the two and is sometimes layered. Legal weight for the ball is not to be under 5oz but never to be over 5.25oz. A ball is 9-9.25" in circumference.
- Gloves in non-throwing hand are required, and fielders may also use additional hard plastic headgear and padding. Pitchers must use the pitcher's masks in softball. Catchers must use plastic shin guards, padded chest protectors, and wire masks molded into a hard plastic shell. Batters must use hard plastic helmet, but may use shin guards and gloves.
- Similar to rugby, both teams must wear their dark color uniforms during games unless either 1) the teams share similar colors or 2) if someone is colorblind; If that is the case, the designated home team will wear their dark color uniforms and the away team will wear either 1) their lighter color uniforms or 2) an alternative darker color uniform.
- Each team gets 2 innings of 10 overs each.
- An over is 6 consecutive bowls (or pitches for baseball fans).
- The team batting last reaches the amount of runs needed to win the game.
- The predetermined amount of overs has been bowled (10 per half-inning).
- When all 11 batsmen have been dismissed.
- Teams may be coed, though they are not required to be.
- 11 players are on the field at any one time; 27 players on the active roster; 42 total players on the roster.
- Positions = Bowler (B), Catcher (C), 1st Baseman (1B), 2nd Baseman (2B), 3rd Baseman (3B), Shortstop (SS), and Five Outfielders (OF).
- The Bowler may have 1 or 2 Designated Batsman (DB) if he so desires, or he can bat himself.
- Roster Setup = 22 Bowlers, 3-4 Catchers, 8 Infielders, 7 Outfielders, 1-2 Designated Batsman.
- All bowlers can only bowl a max of 5 overs per half-inning.
- Unlimited substitutions are allowed throughout the match; If a player is substituted they cannot return unless the substitute or any other player becomes either injured or ill.
- Delivery = overhand (baseball method only).
- All Batsmen may take at most 2 practice swings before their real attempt to hit the ball.
- If the batsman hits the ball, they must either 1) attempt to run around the bases or 2) take a strike in the B-S Count; if a batsman decides not to run and a fielder catches a pop fly, the batter is not out.
- Starting on homeplate, 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.
- It is legal to lead off and steal bases; Runners can use bats as an extension of their body while advancing the bases.
- No foul balls, max of 2 bunts per at-bat; Hit by pitch = not awarded a walk (i.e. 1 run).
- The strike zone is defined as the volume of space above home plate and between the batsman's knees and the midpoint of their torso. Whether a pitch passed through the zone or not is decided by an umpire, who is generally positioned behind the catcher.
- A Ball is a legal pitch that doesn't travel through the strike zone.
- Team Batting Order = a coin toss decides who will bat first; the away team always gets the pick.
- Individual Batting Order = Each team’s batting order is predetermined, but every player must bat in the half-inning assuming the over limit allows that to happen; Example = 1B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, C, 2B, OF, DB or B, OF, and OF.
- The batter has three strikes available during their turn at bat. A fair hit does not require the batter to reach base; all three strikes can be used before the batter must reach first base. A bowl counts as a strike if the batsman takes a swing at the ball, the umpire rules the pitch legal, and the batsman decides to not run.
- Dismissal Procedure = automatic.
- Strikeout = 3 missed swings or bunts or any combination of missed swings and bunts that makes a total of 3 strikes.
- Fly-out / Caught = a fielder catching the ball before landing.
- Force-out = tagging baserunner or base before baserunner touches base when a baserunner is forced to leave his base when the batsman becomes a baserunner himself.
- Tag-out / Run-out = tagging baserunner or base before baserunner touches base.
- Interference / Obstructing the Field = batsman or baserunner intentionally interfering with the fielding side.
- Handled the ball = batsman or baserunner (intentionally or not) touching the ball with hand, arm, or bat to change its course.
- Double Hit = where the batsman or baserunner intentionally touches the ball twice.
- Timed out = batsman not arriving within 1 minute after previous one being dismissed or advanced to 1st base.
- Illegal Swing = a batsman hits a pitch while one foot is entirely outside of the batter's box.
- A player hits a fair ball that isn’t caught by a fielder before it touches the ground.
- A player hits a fair ball that touches the ground and is caught by a fielder whose throw fails to beat the player to a base.
- The umpire calls four pitches out of the strike zone during your at-bat.
- A pitch in the strike zone hits a player without first touching your bat.
- The catcher obstructs a player's swing.
- A player hits a fair ball beyond the playing field (for a home run).
- A player hits a fair, catchable ball, but the fielder drops the ball, throws it away, and so on.
- A third strike skips past the catcher and a player beats the throw to first.
- Right hand and arm swept across the body = Home Run (four+ runs). This signal signifies that the ball has been hit all the way to &has hit the boundary, and a minimum of 4 run has been scored.
Both arms held above the head and index fingers outstretched = Home Run (six+ runs). The ball has been hit all the way or over the boundary. A minimum of 6 runs are awarded for this feat. - Index finger raised towards the batsman = Out. The umpire has given the batsman or woman out and they have to leave the crease and take the long, lonely walk back to the pavilion.
- # of base runs after a hit = # of points.
- Players already on base cannot score by advancing to another base on another player's hit, but can score by either stealing a base or reaching the pitch after reaching all four bases (1pt for either action).
- Home Run = 4pts (along the ground / on the bounce) / 6pts (in the air / on the full) + # of baserunners.
- Extras = 1pt each: 1) Base on balls (4 balls per at-bat), 2) Bye (missed pitch and batsman reaches a base).
- Format = Runs/Outs (EX: 50-7 = 50 runs and 7 outs).
- # of Referees: 2 referees