Every sport has its rules, and every sport requires the players to follow the rules in order for a match to be properly played. For the spectators, knowing the rules is very important, because otherwise they would not be able to enjoy the matches. Some sports have rules which go into so many details that there are books written about them. Others are pretty easy to follow, as long as you learn the basics.
Baseball has its own fair share of rules. To understand it, you should at least know the basic rules. Here are the basic rules of baseball, to help everybody understand it.
What is The Object of the Game?
Baseball is a simple game, just like most games. You should have more points than the opposing team.
Teams of 9 players each play as attacking or defending teams. Each team plays offence and defence once per inning. There are nine innings and an inning is complete after both teams play attack and defence once.
In order for the attacking team to start playing defence, they would need to out three batters of the defending teams. Then, they switch places. The attacking team pitches and tries to stop the batter from getting a run across the bases, ending with a home run. Home runs are the goal, to score the most points. Baseball cannot have ties and after nine innings, if the game is tied, another inning is played, until one team wins.
What Are Outs?
Outs happen when the attacking team manages to out the defending team. They can out them with three strikes, meaning that the batter would miss three balls in a row. They can also out them on base plates, should they tag them while holding the ball, before they reach one of the base plates. A batter continues to bat until they are struck out, but they can also end their batting after they hit a good ball (inside the playing area), or after they get four balls.
A ball is when a pitcher fails their pitch and hits it outside the playing area. There are many ways to out a defending player, but the most popular and frequent are strike and tag outs.
Baseball Nuances
The visiting team always bats first, meaning in the top half of an inning and the home team is next in line, in the bottom half of an inning. The game is not time-limited and can be played for a while, depending on the skill of the competitors. The baseball playing field is called a diamond, because of the shape that the bases make. Baseballs are 9 inch in diameter and baseball bats are made out of wood and are anywhere between 30 and 34 inches, depending on the player’s preference.
Baseball has its rules and essentially, they are simple. Score a home run yourself and out the enemy team. Then, when you get into the details, things start becoming a bit more complex, but that is true of every sport. Knowing the rules, you can now enjoy baseball!