Rules of baseball

Baseball has a long and interesting history, and its rules have changed a lot over time [/w/0]. The game started from older bat-and-ball games in the mid-1800s, and the rules we use today are mostly based on ones first written down in 1848 [/w/7][/w/8][/w/9].

In most professional leagues, some basic rules stay the same. For example, if a pitcher throws four balls to a batter, the batter gets to walk to first base, called a base on balls [/w/3]. If a batter gets three strikes, they are out, called a strikeout [/w/4]. And when three players on the field make outs, the half-inning ends [/w/5][/w/6].

Today, many leagues follow the Official Baseball Rules made by Major League Baseball, though there are small differences between them [/w/10][/w/11]. For international games, the World Baseball Softball Confederation has its own set of rules [/w/12].

Rules

There are several important sets of rules for baseball, and they are only a little different from each other.

The Official Baseball Rules, created by Major League Baseball, guide all professional games in the United States and Canada. Many amateur and youth leagues, like Little League, PONY League, and Cal Ripken League, use these rules with a few changes for safety. Most professional leagues outside North America, such as Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, also use versions of these rules, though they can be quite different.

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), which runs international events like the Summer Olympics, Baseball World Cup, and WBSC Premier 12, began using its own rule set in 2023. Before that, they used changed versions of the Official Baseball Rules. WBSC rules are mostly the same as the Official Baseball Rules, but they have small differences, like pitch clock timing and ways to break ties in extra innings. These rules do not apply to the World Baseball Classic, which is run together by the WBSC and MLB.

The rulebook of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) controls games for its members and is also used in other competitions for college-aged players.

The rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) guide baseball for U.S. high schools and similar age groups, shaping the sport at this level.

History

Unlike many other sports, the rules of baseball have stayed mostly the same in recent times. Many players, fans, and leaders think these rules and traditions are important and should not be changed.

In the early days of baseball, especially in the late 1800s, the rules changed a lot, often every year. The modern game started to take shape in the late 1880s, with more important rule changes happening for the rest of that century.

Many of baseball's rules began with the "New York game" played by amateur clubs in the 1840s and 1850s. These rules were first published in 1848 by Alexander Cartwright, though they were actually written by William R. Wheaton and William H. Tucker, from the New York Knickerbockers club.

The National League formed in 1876, and its rules changed almost every year for the next 25 years. In 1880, a batter was out if the catcher caught the third strike. In 1887, the strike zone was defined from the shoulders to the knees. In 1893, the pitching distance was set to 60.5 feet from home plate.

The "modern era" of baseball is usually considered to have started in 1901, when the American League became a major league. Since then, rule changes have been less frequent. In 1961, the 162-game schedule was adopted by MLB. In 1969, the pitcher's mound was lowered, and the strike zone was reduced. In 1973, the American League introduced the designated hitter rule.

The most recent major rule changes happened in 2023, when MLB added a pitch clock, extra-inning base runners, and restricted infield shifts. These rules have been used in North America and in WBSC competition but are not used everywhere in the world.

Gameplay

Baseball is played between two teams, each with nine players. One team bats while the other fields. The game takes place on a baseball field and is guided by umpires. The field has three bases—first, second, and third—arranged in a square with home plate, forming a shape called the diamond.

A standard game lasts nine innings, where each team gets a turn to bat and try to score runs while the other team fields. An inning is split into two parts: the top half, where the visiting team bats, and the bottom half, where the home team bats. The team with the most runs after nine innings wins. If scores are tied, extra innings are played until one team leads at the end of an inning.

The basic action involves the pitcher throwing the ball toward home plate, where the catcher waits to catch it. The batter tries to hit the ball with a bat. The goal of the batting team is to score runs by hitting the ball and touching all the bases in order, ending at home plate. The fielding team aims to get three batters out to end their turn. Common ways to get outs include catching a flown ball, tagging a runner, or striking out a batter.