Baseball is a sport in which a team of nine players (called batters) try to score runs against the other team by hitting a ball. The team that scores the most runs wins the game.
The batters stand on a plate at the center of the field, where a pitcher throws the ball to them. The other members of the team, known as ‘catchers’ kneel down on the opposite side of the plate, ready to catch the ball if it misses.
A batter hits the ball in the air and tries to run around four bases and touch home plate, where they started as a runner. If they do, the player who caught the ball gets credit for a run.
Batting teams are arranged in a set order, predetermined by the manager before the game. The batters must hit in a certain order, and they must wait until their turn comes up again to continue to bat.
Batter’s Box
A 3-meter square directly behind the home plate is the batter’s box. The hitter must be in this box to bat, with no gloves permitted for the batter or any of the other fielders.
The infield
In a baseball game, the infield is a square of rough pads or bases, arranged equidistant from one another on the ground. These are marked by a flat slab of rubber, called home plate, which is closer to the center than the other bases.
The infield is also surrounded by a fence that separates the infield from the outfield, and by the batter’s box and backstop. The infielders are positioned behind these barriers, and they try to protect the catcher from getting hit by a pitch.
Outs
The defending team tries to get the batter out of the infield before the runner gets to the base. The outs can be by catching the ball in the air, or by throwing it to a base. They can also be by being thrown out at third or first base, when they are running to the second or third base, and when they are running to home plate.
Several variations of the rules exist, but they all boil down to the same basic objective: a team of runners runs counterclockwise around four bases, attempting to score as many runs as possible in the process. Once a runner touches all four bases, and reaches home plate, the team that scored more runs wins the game.
Infielders are positioned in a square, with the home plate on the outside and the bases lined up with each other on the inside, forming a diamond shape. The base coaches and umpires oversee the play.
Pitchers
The pitchers stand on a mound in the center of the diamond, and they try to throw the ball to the batters from that point. They can also throw the ball to a catcher who is on the other side of home plate, or he can throw the ball directly to an infielder on the other side of the field.