Baseball

Baseball Basics

The Objective

Baseball is played between two teams that take turns playing offense and defense.

The team on offense tries to score runs by hitting the ball and advancing players around four bases: first base, second base, third base and home plate. A run scores when a player safely reaches home plate after progressing around the bases.

The defensive team tries to prevent runs by getting offensive players out.

The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins.

Innings & Game Format

A baseball game is divided into innings. Each inning has two halves.

In the top half, one team bats while the other plays defense. In the bottom half, the teams switch roles.

The offensive team's turn ends after the defense records three outs. The teams then switch sides.

If a game is tied after its scheduled innings, additional extra innings can be played until a winner is determined.

Scoring Runs

A team scores a run when a player advances safely around first, second and third base and reaches home plate.

Multiple runs can score on the same play.

A home run usually occurs when a batter hits a fair ball over the outfield fence. The batter and any runners already on base are allowed to circle the bases and score.

Unlike basketball, there aren't different point values for different types of scores: every run counts as one.

Batting

Players on offense take turns trying to hit pitches thrown by the opposing team's pitcher.

Each turn at the plate is called a plate appearance.

When a batter hits the ball into play, she tries to reach first base safely before the defense can get her out.

Single (1B) — The batter reaches first base.
Double (2B) — The batter reaches second base.
Triple (3B) — The batter reaches third base.
Home Run (HR) — The batter circles all the bases and scores.

Balls & Strikes

Each pitch can affect the batter's count, which tracks balls and strikes.

A strike can occur when the batter swings and misses, or when she doesn't swing at a pitch that passes through the strike zone.

A ball is generally a pitch outside the strike zone that the batter does not swing at.

Three strikes = a strikeout and the batter is out.

Four balls = a walk, and the batter advances to first base.

The strike zone is the area over home plate where a pitch must pass to be called a strike when the batter doesn't swing.

Outs

The defense needs three outs to end the opposing team's half of an inning.

Strikeout: The batter receives three strikes.
Flyout: A defensive player catches a hit ball before it touches the ground.
Force out: A defensive player gets the ball to a base before a runner who is required to advance reaches it.
Tag out: A defensive player holding the ball tags a runner while the runner is not safely touching a base.
Double Play: The defense records two outs during the same continuous play.

Base Running

Once a batter safely reaches base, she becomes a baserunner and can try to advance to the next base.

Runners can advance when the ball is hit, on certain walks or errors, or by attempting to steal a base while the ball is live.

A runner must touch each base in order before reaching home plate to score.

Fair & Foul Balls

The lines extending from home plate past first and third base establish the boundaries between fair and foul territory.

A ball hit into fair territory can remain in play and allow the batter and runners to advance.

A foul ball is generally a ball hit outside the field's fair territory. A foul ball usually counts as a strike when the batter has fewer than two strikes, but an ordinary foul ball does not become a third strike.

Pitching

The pitcher throws the ball toward home plate and tries to prevent the batter from reaching base.

Pitchers use different types of pitches, speeds and movement to make the ball more difficult to hit.

The pitcher who begins the game is the starting pitcher. Other pitchers who enter later are called relief pitchers.

A team can change pitchers during the game as part of its strategy.

Player Positions

Pitcher (P): Throws the ball to the batter and begins each play.
Catcher (C): Plays behind home plate, catches pitches and helps direct the defense.
First Base (1B): Defends the area around first base and frequently receives throws to record outs.
Second Base (2B): An infielder who plays near second base and helps field balls hit through the middle of the infield.
Third Base (3B): Defends the area around third base and fields balls hit down the left side of the infield.
Shortstop (SS): An infielder who generally plays between second and third base and fields balls hit to the left side of the infield.
Left Field (LF): Defends the left portion of the outfield.
Center Field (CF): Defends the middle of the outfield and typically covers a large amount of ground.
Right Field (RF): Defends the right portion of the outfield.

Substitutions

Teams can replace players during the game for strategic, performance or injury reasons.

A pinch hitter enters to bat in place of another player, while a pinch runner replaces a runner on base.

Pitching substitutions are especially common, with relief pitchers entering when the starting pitcher or another reliever leaves the game.

Unlike basketball, a player who has been removed from a standard baseball game generally cannot return later.

Common Terms

At-Bat (AB): A batter's official turn at the plate, excluding certain outcomes such as walks.
Bases Loaded: Runners are on first, second and third base.
Bullpen: The team's group of relief pitchers and the area where they warm up.
Count: The current number of balls and strikes on a batter.
Double Play: A play in which the defense records two outs.
Error: A defensive mistake that allows a batter or runner to advance when an out reasonably could have been made.
Hit: When a batter reaches base safely because of a fair ball without the result being credited to an error or certain other plays.
Home Run: A hit that allows the batter to circle all the bases and score, usually by clearing the outfield fence.
RBI (Run Batted In): Credit generally given to a batter when her plate appearance causes a run to score.
Stolen Base: When a runner successfully advances to another base without the ball being hit.
Walk: When a batter receives four balls and is awarded first base.