Baseball is a team sport in which teams of 9 players try to score points (runs) against each other. The game usually lasts for 9 innings, and is played in rotation, with the home team on defense (pitching) and the visiting team on offense (batting).
There are many different positions throughout the baseball field, but the most important ones are the batter, base runner and outfielder. Knowing these positions can help you understand the flow of play, and can also give you a basic understanding of the rules of the game.
Batting
The batting team begins the game by sending a ball into the air and trying to hit it with the bat. If a fielder catches the ball, and throws it to the person touching first base, the hitter is called out. If the ball hits the ground and is caught by a fielder before it touches the base, the batter is also out.
Running
A base runner must run to each of the bases, and then touch them all before he is called safe. Once he has reached a base, he cannot be tagged out by a fielder who has the ball in his mitt. He can, however, slide into the base if he reaches it before a fielder reaches it, and an umpire will decide whether the runner is “safe”.
Homerun
If a hitter successfully hits the ball over the wall in the outfield, he’s said to have hit a home run. This is a significant point in the game, and is a key reason why home runs are so common in the sport of baseball.
The batter can hit up to 4 balls and 3 strikes in each at-bat, and these are based on the width of the plate one way and the distance between each player’s elbows and knees height-wise. The number of balls and strikes is decided by the umpire during each at-bat.
Strikes
If the umpire thinks that the batter has hit a foul tip to the catcher, they will call three strikes. This is an important rule in baseball, because a foul tip can be the difference between scoring a run and having your team score nothing at all!
Countdown
The number of pitches in each at-bat resets after every at-bat. The number of pitches in an inning is usually the same, but it depends on each individual team’s pitching style and how they use their hitters.
Getting Started
If you’re new to the game of baseball, you should start with short hops and short throws to improve your reaction time in the outfield. This will make you more aware of where you need to be, and what you need to do, in the moment before a pitch is thrown.
You can also improve your reflexes by practicing fast-twitch exercises, sprints and drop-step drills in the outfield. These will also help you develop your hand-eye coordination and dexterity.
You should also practice catching, since that is another skill that will help you on the field. You can improve your ability to catch by throwing the ball with your arm straight and overhand. This is better for your arm than underhand, because it keeps your wrist in the correct position to catch the ball and makes you more agile in the field.