BASEBALL / SOFTBALL

1ST Strike, 2nd Strike, 3rd Strike

And you’re out!

Prepared by: Airel Eve Canoy

 HISTORY

Baseball is thought to have originated as a game called

“rounders” in England and gained popularity in the United
States in the early 1900s. It has gone by many names in the
past, including “town ball,” “goal ball,” round ball,” and simply
“base,” just to name a few. The first recorded rules were
written by Shane Ryley Foster for a team called the
Knickerbockers, based in Manhattan. Modern baseball has
two official leagues, the National League and the American
League; but many others cropped up over the years to offer
competition.
 NOTABLE DATES
1845: Cartwright formalizes the rules
1846: the first recorded game is played by the Knickerbocker Baseball Club of New York City
(including Cartwright) and the New York Baseball Club (Cartwright’s team loses)
1857: rules and issues are discussed at the first official convention (25 teams were represented)
1858: the National Association of Baseball Players is formed and becomes the first organized
amateur baseball league
1860’s: the civil war causes the number of teams to drop off, but soldiers introduce the sport to
other areas of the country
1868: over 100 teams are represented at the annual convention
1869: the Cincinnati Red Stockings become the first professional team with paid players
1871: the National Association becomes the first professional baseball league
1875: the National Association is replaced by the National League, which is run by businessmen
rather than the players themselves
 NOTABLE DATES
1882: a rival league is formed, called the American Association
1884: the Union Association is formed to allow players more freedom with their contracts, but
financial difficulties force this league to close after only one season
1890: the Players League, similar to the Union Association, is formed but again experiences
extreme financial hardship. This league also lasts for just one season.
1890: competition forces the American association to close its doors, and players migrate to the
National League
1901: the American League sprouts up as another contending league
1903: the first World Series is played
1911: the introduction of a ball with a cork center eases the way for batters
1914: the Federal League tries to establish itself, failing after just two seasons
1960: the threat of yet another league causes the two existing leagues to expand from 16 to 24
teams
 EQUIPMENTS
• Helmet is worn by a batter to
protect his/her head and the ear
facing the pitcher from the ball.
While some helmets have ear
protectors only on one side as
only the ear facing the pitcher
should be protected, helmets with
ear protectors on both sides are
more common as some batters
are left handed and some right
handed.a
Catcher’s Helmet- Catchers
wear a helmet with face
mask similar to a hockey
goalkeeper mask to protect
both their head and face.
Sometimes they might wear
a separate helmet and a
facemask.

Uniforms- All players,

coaches and managers wear
shirts and pants. Each team
has a uniform dress of a
specific colour and design.
Baseball bat - is a round, solid wooden or hollow aluminium bat.
Wooden bats are traditionally made from ash wood, though sometimes
maple and bamboo is also used.
The ball - used in baseball is called a baseball. Layers of yarn or string
is rolled on a cork sphere and a leather coat is stitched over it to make a
baseball.
Gloves- players wear leather gloves to protect their palms. A webbed
"pocket" between the thumb and first finger helps the fielder to catch the
ball easily.
 RULES
• Baseball has two teams of nine (9) players.
• The fielding team’s positions are made up of a pitcher, catcher,
first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, third baseman, and
three outfielders at left field, centre field and right field.
• Games last for 9 innings of which both teams get to bat once. If
the game is a tie after 9 innings then an extra inning will be
added until a winner is found. If the team batting second in the
bottom of the 9th inning are already ahead in points, then they
do not need to complete their batting innings.
• Once a batting order is picked, then it cannot be changed
throughout the game. Substitutes are permitted, however, they
must bat in the order of the previous player whom they replaced.
• If the batter manages to hit the ball from the pitcher, they must
make an effort to at least get to first base. They can then run to
as many bases as they wish before being tagged out. Each
base must be touched with some part of the batters body when
running past.
• A batter gets up to three strikes before getting out.
A strike is deemed when a batter swings for a ball
and misses it. The batter can leave the ball but, if
it’s within a certain area (called the 'strike zone'),
then a strike will also be given. If four balls miss
the strike zone and the batter does not swing their
bat, they can walk to first base.
• When on base, the batter can run to the next base
at any point.
• Players can be dismissed by either a 'strike out'
(referring to a batsman missing the ball three
times), 'force out' (when a player fails to make the
base before the defensive player), 'fly out' (when
the ball is hit in the air and caught without it
bouncing), and 'tag outs' (where a defensive
player with the ball tags the batsman with the ball
all whilst they are running).
•  
 REGULATIONS
• The Playing Field
Baseball is played on a field with four bases. The
bases are arranged in the shape of a diamond, 90
feet apart from each other. In the middle of the
diamond is the pitcher's mound. The pitcher begins
his pitch with his foot on the pitching rubber, which
is 60 feet, 6 inches from home plate. Distances
between bases and from the mound to home plate
may be shorter when younger participants are
involved. In Little League, home plate is 46 feet
from the pitching rubber, and bases are 60 feet
apart. Typically, in professional baseball, a fence
anywhere from 300 feet to 400 feet from home
plate marks the boundary of the field.
• Game Limits
At the professional and collegiate levels, there is no
time limit for games. Games are over when nine
innings are completed, whether it takes two hours
or 10. In high school and youth leagues, time limits
may be installed by the leagues that have
jurisdiction. Having a "time limit" means that a new
inning may not start after the time has expired.

• Inning Structure
The batting team tries to score as many runs as it
can before the team in the field can record three
outs in a given inning. When three outs are
recorded, a team's time at bat for that inning ends.
There are numerous ways to record an out. The
batter can hit the ball and have it caught before it
hits the ground (called a fly out).
The batter can also hit the ball on the ground,
and if the fielder throws the ball to a player
touching the base before a runner forced to try to
advance gets there, the runner is out (called a
ground out). Tagging a player from the batting
team with the ball while that player is not on a
base is another way to record an out. A strikeout
is also a way to record an out. Getting outs is the
main goal of the pitcher and the team in the field.
When the fielding team records three outs, the
inning ends. The team that was hitting then goes
in the field, and the team that was in the field
takes its turn at bat.
• Strikeouts and Walks
If a pitcher throws three strikes (pitches either in
the strike zone, or pitches missed by the batter
when he swings at a pitch), the batter is out. If a
pitcher throws four balls (pitches out of the strike
zone in which the batter does not swing), the
batter is awarded first base. A foul ball (hit
outside the boundaries of the field) is counted as
a strike against the batter until there are two
strikes, at which point subsequent foul balls do
not count as strikes. The exception is if the batter
attempted to bunt when he already has two
strikes against him. A foul ball in that instance is
recorded as a strikeout.
• Scoring Runs
When a runner gets on base, usually by hitting
the ball and reaching base safely or earning a
walk, it is the next hitter in the lineup's job to
"drive him in." A run is scored when a runner
crosses home plate safely; either being driven
in by a hit, an error, a fielder's choice, or a walk
with the bases loaded. A batter can score a run
by himself by hitting a home run, usually
accomplished by hitting a ball over the outfield
fence. If a home run is hit, the batter and
everybody on base scores. The team that
scores more runs over the course of nine
innings wins the game.
• Stealing Bases
Once a runner is on base, he may attempt to steal
the next base in professional baseball and many
higher levels of the game. A runner does this by
making a dash for the next base once the pitcher
pitches the ball. After the pitcher releases the ball, it's
the catcher's job to receive the ball and throw it to the
base the runner is trying to steal. If a fielder receives
the throw and tags the runner before he reaches the
base, the runner is out. A pitcher can try to counter a
stolen base by attempting to "pick off" the runner
instead of pitching. Picking off consists of making a
throw to the base the runner occupies before he
steals, hoping to catch the runner off the base. If the
pitcher makes any move to deceive the base runner,
a balk is called, and the runner is awarded the next
base.