Summary of the Sport:
Rule: |
Description: |
The Bat |
A round handle on top with a flat wooden bottom. The rules of the game limit the allowable size for a bat as not more than 38 in (965 mm) long and the blade may not be more than 4.25 in (108 mm) wide. Bats weigh from 1.1 to 2.3 Kg (2.4 to 5lbs). |
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. |
Distance Between Pitcher & Batter |
60 feet, 6 inches 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 portable pitching mound. |
Number of Umpires |
2 umpires on the field, 3rd umpire off the field, 1 match referee. |
Number of Players |
Consist of 9 players. In some leagues, a batting specialist may be designated as a hitter exclusively for the pitcher. Teams may use up to the balance of their rosters as substitutes without restriction during games. |
Pitches Allowed per Batter |
Limited by the number of balls pitched 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. |
Batting Order |
Flexible |
Maximum Runs Scored of a Pitch |
Four |
The Field of Play |
The field is a rectangle 295 to 472 feet in length, and 147 to 300 feet in width similar to a american football field or a soccer pitch. the lane (similar to the pitch in cricket) is 66 feet in length x 12 feet in width (20.1m x 3.66m). |
Delivery of the Ball |
As in North American baseball, it is delivered overhand, sidearm, or underarm and is called pitching. |
The Field:
- Playing Field = 295-472’ x 147-300’ (90-143.87m x 44.81-90m).
- Wickets = No Wickets.
- Pitcher-Batsman Distance (between the pitcher's plate and home base (the rear point of home plate) = 60'6" (18.4 m).
- Distance between the Bases = 60'6" (18.4 m).
- The Lane = 66' x 12' (20.1m x 3.66m).
- Batsman’s Box = 6’ x 4’ (1.83m x 1.22m).
- Catcher’s Box = 6’ x 43” (1.83m x 1.09m).
- Strike Zone = midpoint of chest to hollowcap below knees.
- Edge of Field = Boundary Line.
- Bases = Designated rubber bases or bags.
- Teams must use portable pitching mounds.
- 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 36 ounces (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.
- Each team gets 2 innings of 10 overs each.
- An over is 6 consecutive pitches.
- All pitches must stay within the pitch to count as one of the balls in an over.
- Teams may be coed, though they are not required to be.
- 10 players are on the field at any one time; 26 on roster.
- Positions = Pitcher (P), Catcher (C), Four Side-fielders (SF) and Four Deep-fielders (DF).
- The Pitcher may have 1 or 2 Designated Batsman (DB) if he so desires, or he can bat himself.
- Roster Setup = 11 Pitchers, 3-4 Catchers, 10-11 Fielders, and 1-2 Designated Batsman.
- All pitchers can only pitch 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 must bat in pairs; the manager chooses who will bat in pairs to start off each half inning. The batsman facing the pitcher is the striker, the other is the non-striker.
- All Batsmen may take at most 2 practice swings before their at-bat.
- Runners can use bats while advancing the bases; it is not legal to lead off and steal bases.
- Foul balls, max of 2 bunts; Hit by pitch = not awarded 1 run.
- Once a batsman bunts or hits a ball, they do not have to run; however, they will be added a strike into their B-S count if they choose not to do so.
- The Strike Zone is a conceptual right pentagonal prism over home plate which defines the boundaries through which a pitch must pass in order to count as a strike when the batter does not swing.
- A Ball is a legal bowl that doesn't travel through the strike zone.
- Each batsman has their own unique B-S Count; If the pair scores an odd number of runs (by running across the pitch) and the other batsmen is now at the plate, the B-S count starts over at 0-0 for that batsman. If the batsmen flip flop again, the B-S count restarts at 1-1.
- If a batsman scores a Home run with their first swing and a count of 0-0, the count will stay at 0-0; If a batsman scores a home run with a count other than 0-0, the count will restart at 1-1.
- 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 Flexible, but every player must bat in the half-inning (assuming that the team doesn't run out of overs during the half-inning).
- Example: IF & IF, IF & OF, OF & C, IF & OF, DB/P & 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 pitch 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.
- The team batting last reaches the amount of runs needed to win the game.
- The predetermined amount of overs has been pitched (10 per half-inning).
- When 9 of 10 batsmen have been dismissed.
- 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 = catching ball before landing.
- Tag-out = tagging baserunner or base before baserunner touches base.
- Interference = batsman or baserunner intentionally interfering with the fielding side.
- Handled the ball = batsman or baserunner intentionally touching the ball with hand or bat.
- Timed out = batsman not arriving within three minutes after previous one being dismissed or advanced to 1st base.
- # of base runs after a hit = # of pts.
- Home Run = 2pts (sidelines) / 4pts (endlines)
- Extras = 1pt each:
a) Points on balls (4 balls & the B-S Count restarts at 1-1 or starts at 0-0 for the formerly non-striking batter).
b) Bye (missed pitch and batsman reaches a base). - Format = Runs/Outs (EX: 50-7 = 50 runs and 7 outs).
- # of Referees: 2 referees
- T-shirt, pants, ball cap, shoes, and sunglasses (optional).
- 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.