Innings and outs
Each innings has two halves. A team bats until three of its players are out, then the sides swap. A full game is nine innings, and tied games continue into extra innings until someone leads at the end of a completed innings.
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FIELD · WBSC · AABC India
Baseball
Baseball is played between two teams of nine on a diamond, alternating between batting and fielding. The batting side scores by having runners advance around all four bases; the fielding side gets three outs to end the innings. There is no clock — the game lasts as long as it takes.
group
PLAYERS
9 on field, 26 in the squad
schedule
DURATION
9 innings, roughly 3 hrs
stadium
PLAYING AREA
Diamond with 27.4 m base paths and an outfield
scoreboard
SCORING
1 run per runner crossing home plate
HOW IT IS PLAYED
Core Rules
Strikes and balls
A pitch through the strike zone, or one the batter swings at and misses, is a strike; three strikes is a strikeout. Four pitches outside the zone that the batter does not swing at is a walk to first base.
Foul balls
A ball hit outside the foul lines counts as a strike, except that a foul ball can never be the third strike — unless it is a bunt or is caught before touching the ground.
Getting a batter out
A batter is out on a strikeout, when a batted ball is caught on the fly, or when the ball reaches first base before they do on a ground ball.
Getting a runner out
A runner is out when tagged with the ball while off a base, or when forced out because the base ahead was reached with the ball while they had to advance.
Scoring runs
A run scores when a runner touches first, second, third and home in order before the third out. A run does not count if the third out is a force out or a batter being retired before reaching first.
Home runs
A fair ball hit over the outfield fence lets the batter and all runners circle the bases freely. With the bases loaded that is a grand slam, worth four runs.
Stealing and leading off
Runners may leave their base as soon as the pitcher begins delivery and attempt to steal the next base. A pitcher who deceives a runner with an illegal motion commits a balk, advancing all runners one base.
Infield fly
With runners on first and second and fewer than two outs, an easily catchable pop-up in the infield is called an automatic out to stop fielders dropping it deliberately for a double play.
WATCH OUT
Fouls & Penalties
- errorBalk — an illegal or deceptive pitching motion with runners on base.
- errorBatter interference with the catcher's throw, or a runner interfering with a fielder.
- errorCatcher's interference with the batter's swing — batter awarded first base.
- errorBatting out of order, or leaving a base early on a caught fly ball.
- errorIllegal pitch — doctoring the ball or an illegal substance on the hand.
WHO DECIDES
Match Officials
- sportsHome plate umpire — calls balls and strikes and rules on plays at the plate.
- sportsFirst, second and third base umpires — rule on safe and out calls on the bases.
- sportsCrew chief — has final authority on rule interpretations.
- sportsReplay official — reviews challenged calls on video.
GOVERNED BY WBSC · AABC INDIA
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