Baseball rules

The baseball rules determine the course of a baseball game.

History

The rules of modern baseball game can be traced back to a set of rules that Alexander Cartwright wrote. He had it printed in New York, under the title

These rules are known as the Knickerbocker Rules. This is not a complete set of rules for all game situations, but a mixture of a club constitution and clarify more doubts cases, which presupposes a knowledge of the game with the reader. Of the twenty some rules to this day are still in force.

Field

The playing field consists of two parts and is usually limited by a fence. The so-called fair territory ( shown in brown and green in the adjacent drawing) usually has roughly the shape of a quarter circle whose straight edges as touchline lines ( foul lines ) are between 90 and 120 meters long. The area outside the foul lines is referred to as foul territory (in the drawing blue).

Most actions take place in the infield (in the drawing brown), a square in the top of the quarter circle of 90 feet ( 27 m ) length edges, the corners of which are marked by the three bases and home base. The home base is the innermost point of the whole playing field, first base is located on the right touchline, the second inside the whole playing field, and the third on the left touchline. The bases are square, white, relatively flat rubber pads which are anchored in the ground. The Home Plate is a white, five cornered hard rubber plate in the form of a "Santa Claus House ", the " Rooftop " is located in the inner field corner. The rest of the fair territory is called the outfield (in the drawing shown in green).

In the middle of the infield there is the pitcher's mound, a 25 cm high hill with a rectangular rubber plate, the pitcher's plate it. From this rubber the pitcher must the balls at 60 feet (about 18 meters ) away opposing batters by throwing to his catcher. The batter stands to the right or left of the Home Base and facing this, the catcher crouches behind home base just with the face towards the pitcher.

In baseball, the rules place measures such as the length of the foul lines or the height of the fence defines not accurate. Therefore, both teams agree with the referees before the game starts on the Ground Rules, which take into account the local conditions (see also below fair ball, foul ball or dead ball ).

Men

Baseball is played between two teams of nine players each (see, however designated hitter ). As a team, the impact law has (percussion team or offense ), the other is in the field (field team or Defense) on the nine available positions: Pitcher, Catcher, four infielders ( 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, shortstop between the 2nd and 3rd base, and 3rd baseman ) and three outfielders ( left fielder, center fielder, right fielder ). From the offense at first is only one player, the respective batter ( batsman ), in the field. Putting the other by more than a batter when the batter is either out or runner ( rotor) is.

Only the particular offense can runs (points) achieve; this happens when one of their players manages to be a successful hit as a batter becomes a runner and return the three bases counterclockwise in sequence in one or more stages proceed to completion and to home plate without being made ​​out there. The pitcher and his defense to try to prevent this by making three players on offense out. There are several possibilities, which are further explained below. With three outs the teams switch roles; then still located on base runner can not score points, because after the change are getting all the bases empty.

During the game may as often be replaced, a once withdrawn from the game player may not be exchanged later though. A newly substituted player takes the same position in the batting order ( see below), as the player he replaced. Most leagues limit the total size of the first team of a team; the statement, it must be " as often " replaced, so applies only insofar as this squad has not been exhausted.

Innings and playing time

A game section in which each team was once again Defense and Offense, called inning. The away team is always first offense, with games on neutral ground is achieved. A game consists usually of nine such innings. In German leagues partly Double Header ie two consecutive games played, (2 × 5, 2 × 7, 1 × 1 × 7 or 9 innings are common in Germany ). This is to increase the number of games per season. For each league will be specified in the implementing regulation by the relevant national association. If there is a tie after the specified number of innings, then renewed for another inning so long ( extra innings ) until one team wins. A draw is only available when the game must be stopped at a tie due to bad weather or the lateness of the hour. In professional leagues, the game is being played in this case at a later date to end. The federal gaming regulations for baseball and softball in Germany stipulates that for leagues below the regional league maximum playing time by the national association can be determined. In North Rhine -Westphalia, the maximum playing time for example, three hours, with a part thereof inning must be played to the end.

Duel pitcher against batter

The focus of the game is the duel between a batter of the offense and the pitcher of the fielding side. The players of the offense occurred in a predetermined order ( batting order ) individually against the pitcher. This tries to be throwing the ball through the strike zone to his catcher that the batter can hit it with his racket only weakly or not. The strike zone is the area on the 40 inch Home Plate, which is bounded above and below by chest and knee height of the batter.

In this duel it comes to balls and strikes: A " ball " is, if the pitcher misses the strike zone and the batter is also making no impact test. Ejects the pitcher four of them, the batter must " without a fight " to advance to first base. Please do not use all possibly located on Bases player then advance one base when a base would be doubly occupied by the form or the following Runner. This is called a base on balls or a walk. The same rise occurs when the batter is hit by the throw on the body ( Hit by Pitch).

A strike is when the bat the batter misses the ball or throw the pitcher passes through the strike zone without the batter swings afterwards. Cashes the batter three " strikes", he is out (strike out).

The count of balls and strikes begins anew when a new batter to the "Plate " comes from.

A ball that is hit into the field, is neither "Ball " or " Strike ", the distinction not only refers to or not valid hit balls.

The decision between ball or strike by the Chief Referee ( plate umpire ), which is located behind the catcher. Strikes must be announced by the referee loudly and clearly, while not normally announces Balls.

The pitcher must not feint litters; when it attaches to the throw, he must perform it too. A violation of this rule is called Balk.

Batted ball

The most interesting situations arise when the batter hits the ball and strikes back into the field. This makes it an Runner ( runner ) and must drop the bat and run to first base.

Will his batted ball by a fielder caught directly from the air ( fly ball ), the batter is even now out ( Fly out). Any other runners must first return to their starting base ( touchback ) and may not start running until after the catch. But you must stop, even if they believe the next base no longer be able to achieve after the catch.

The new runner is also out if a fielder takes the ball off the ground and throws to first baseman - while he touches first base - before the batter / runner even gets there (ground out). With limited play down the court referee (Field Umpire ) between safe or out decision. Each runner is out, the playing field has to leave until he comes again as a batter 's turn.

Each runner who just touches any base, is also out if he is touched by a fielder with the ball itself or with the glove when the ball is in it, (day out). However, discarding is not allowed. The runner is out when he hit the ball, walks around and is hit on the way to first base in fair territory of the thrown ball. It does not matter if he was dropped intentionally or unintentionally. If a runner hit by a batted ball in fair territory, the previously no fielder has taken, he is out.

A runner is safe when it reaches a base before the fielding side can bring the ball there. He then scored a base hit. He can always try, even two or three bases to run at one time on, however, there may be more than a runner located on each base. So come from behind a runner after ( on first base is always the case, except for a fly-out, as the batsman is obliged to run to first base ), the runner located there must advance whether he wants to or not, and at the target base there is the possibility of a Force Out. If no enforcement Runner from behind ( for example, if a runner on second base and is the first base free ), then he can decide for himself whether he wants to run or if it remains on its base. Such " voluntary" Runner can only per Day Out ( touch with the ball in the glove ), not by Force Out ( ball reaches the base before the runner) were identified. A double play is the relatively common situation that if a runner on first base stands and the other two bases are still free, defending the ball first to second base throws (force out the runner who had to start running from first base, to the later ones new batsman to make room ), and then from there to first base ( Force out of the batsman needs to run all ). So two out can be achieved in one turn.

Manages the batter by its own impact on the first base, he scored a single. Will he make it to the second or third base, he scored according to a double or triple. ( However, these expressions are only for statistics of significance for the course of the game does not matter if a base was reached by a private or foreign shock). A runner is on a base that it has reached safe, while a new batter takes up a duel against the pitcher. Through its beat all runners can then advance further or even make a run, namely when they again arrive safely at home plate. Should a batter the ball over the outer fence of time, so it is called a home run. The batter and all possible ligands is located just on base runners may run the bases in peace and ever achieve a run. Were busy doing all the bases, and four points are thus obtained at a stroke, it is called a grand slam. For empty Bases a home run counts, however, only one point, like any other run also.

Fair ball, foul ball or dead ball

A fair ball is a batted ball that touches in fair territory ( field inside the touchline lines) the ground first. If he comes to the infield, he may not roll into foul territory, before it is behind the first or third base. If the ball in the outfield "fair" to the ground and then rolls only into foul territory, it is a fair ball

Does a batted ball touches the ground beyond the foul lines ( touchline lines) or rolls out of the infield out, it is a foul ball, the game is with the call foul ( or foul ball ) stopped by the referee, all actions are then invalid until the game by calling " play" to resume. A foul ball at the batter leads to a strike, unless he already has two strikes on his account, then the foul ball is not counted. A captured from the air ball leads to a fly-out, regardless of whether it was caught on fair territory or foul territory. That is, the batsman is out and the game continues.

A dead ball occurs when the ball leaves the stadium, for example by a missed shot. This refers to the area that is no longer playable - for example, the bleachers, the terrain behind the Outfieldzaun or the Dugouts (replacement benches ) of the players. Other lines and dead ball Territories can be agreed depending on the stadium between the teams and the referees in the Ground Rules. Where a batted ball, for example, on the ground and then jumps over the Outfieldzaun, this is a "Ground - Rule Double". The batter may on second base and all Runners are two bases before. A dead ball, there are, for example, if a runner is hit by a batted ball in fair territory. The runner is made ​​optionally in this case, the batter will get the right to the first base.

Base Stealing

A runner can always try the next base to "steal ", so Walk it, even if the ball was not hit by the batter ( Base Stealing ). A typical occasion when the pitcher started his pitching motion, because he is no longer allowed to interrupt this. The runner tries to get more at the next base when the catcher ( who has now caught the throw of the pitcher ) can throw the ball there.

To facilitate Base Stealing and total to shorten the path to the current, the Runners are often ahead of the beat a few steps ahead ( Lead). If the pitcher thinks that a runner here has overdone it, he can place the ball to the batter to the corresponding baseman throw (pick off ); touched this with the ball in the glove the runner before the make it back to base, the runner is out.

Referee, Scorekeeper

A game is usually governed by two to four arbitrators. They are called Umpires. The plate umpire is always behind home plate (behind the catcher ), he meets especially the decision on ball or strike, and whether a runner reaches home plate safe and thus scored a point, or if it there in time out was made. The one or the other arbitrators are in the field and judge primarily on whether a runner safe on the bases or is out. If there is only one or two court referee, they must each run near to that base, where a narrow "safe or out" decision is pending. In case of disagreement between the arbitrators the plate umpire always has the last word.

A score keeper on the sidelines logs all actions and plays on a prefabricated form, the score sheet. The completed score sheet serves not only as a game. Based on the records comprehensive statistics are created, which provide information on skill level of teams and individual players. Such statistics are popular with many baseball fans, but have no meaning for victory or defeat.