Baseball - rules of the game, playing field, terms. How many pinchers are there based on Baseball Rules for Dummies?

how many players are on a baseball team? and got the best answer

Reply from Name obliges[guru]
One of my friends, like many Russians, carries with him in his car
convincing proof that you are right is a baseball bat. Once at the checkpoint he was stopped by traffic cops.
When asked why, he convincingly asserted: “I’m interested in baseball.”
- Well, how many players are on the baseball team?
Bitch...
That was a joke, but seriously, the rules of the game of baseball, in general, remained the same as they were at the beginning of the century. On the baseball diamond, called a "diamond" due to the configuration of the center of the field, there are nine players from each team. At the corners of the "diamond" there are four bases, including the "house" at the base of the "diamond". Members of the defending team are located near the first, second and third bases, behind the home base is the catcher (receiver); the fifth member of the defending team, a free player, is positioned between second and third bases. All of these players are in an area called the "infield" (see diagram). Three other defensive players—right fielder, center fielder, and left fielder—patrol the “outfield,” the wide grass area between the infield and the fence or wall that defines the boundary of the baseball diamond. Near the center of the infield, 2.1 m closer to home base than to second base, is the pitching circle, which the pitcher occupies. From a small hillock in the center of the circle, the pitcher of the defending team serves a hard ball (weighing 140 g, circumference 23 cm) towards the “home” base, a post at which is alternately occupied by players of the attacking team, trying to hit the ball with a bat - a round ash stick tapering towards the handle length 81-91 cm.
continuation of the article.
Source: A spectator on a baseball field sees two teams of nine players: one defending, the second team attacking

Answer from Marat Kuchukov[newbie]
no pinschers.

Answer from Vitya Borzenko[newbie]
9 pinschers

Answer from Serg[newbie]
Not a single pitcher on the base has his own mound; there are only 9 players on the team.

Answer from 3 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics that answer your question: How many players are on a baseball team?

Baseball(English baseball, from base - base, base and ball - ball) - team sport game with a ball and bat. The competition involves two teams of nine (sometimes ten) players each.

Baseball appeared in the United States at the beginning of the 19th century. It is believed that the basis of the game was English game"rounders". The first official match was held in 1820 in New York. The first was created in 1845 professional club. The game is widely distributed in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Australia, Japan, Korea and other countries. On this moment Baseball is played in more than 120 countries around the world. The World Baseball Championship has been held since 1938 for men and since 2004 for women. Baseball is most popular in the USA, Cuba, Japan, China and South Korea.

In the USA, Japan, the Czech Republic and other countries, softball is also common - a simplified version of baseball - a game that can be played indoors and on small fields.

Related sports to baseball include cricket, pesapolo in Finland, oina in Romania, and lapta in Russia.

At the 117th IOC Session in Singapore on July 8, 2005, baseball, as well as softball, was excluded from the list Olympic events sports, both as a result of a lack of popularity in most IOC member countries, and because of disagreements between the IOC and the US League Baseball, which refused to postpone its competitions during the Olympic Games. As a result, baseball was introduced to the Beijing Olympics last time. However, a return to discussion of this topic after the 2012 Olympic Games is not excluded.

Rules

The goal of the game is to score more points/runs than the opposing team. A point is scored when a player on the offensive team runs through each of the bases (square (30 cm x 30 cm) pads attached to the ground) located at the corners of a 90-foot (27.4 meter) square.

Baseball is usually played with a fist-sized ball that consists of a cork or rubber core wrapped in a layer of yarn. The top of the ball is covered with two layers of white leather with red stitches. Each team has 9 or 10 players. The corners of the playing "square" are called counterclockwise "home", 1st base, 2nd base and 3rd base.

At the start of the game, one of the teams (usually the home team) plays defense. 9 players from the defensive team enter the field and try to prevent the other team from scoring points. The visiting team plays first on offense and tries to score points. Points are earned like this: starting from “home”, each player of the attacking team tries to earn the right to run counterclockwise to the next base (corner of the square) and, having reached, touch the base, continuing to run to each subsequent base and, finally, return to “home” ", earning a point in the process.

Before a player on the attacking team can begin to run, a player on the defending team, called a “pitcher,” stands at a designated spot in the middle of the playing square. The remaining 8 players of the defending team are also on the field, each in their own position.

The offensive player, called the hitter, stands near home plate holding a round bat, usually made of wood or aluminum. The batter waits for the pitcher to throw the ball toward home. The pitcher throws the ball toward home plate, and the batter tries to hit the ball with his bat. If the batter manages to hit the ball into the field, he must drop the bat and start running towards 1st base. (There are other ways to reach first base.)

When a batter begins to run, he is called a “batter-runner.” If the runner reaches base, he is declared “safe” and becomes a “runner,” otherwise the umpire declares “out.” If a player is declared out, he must leave the field and remain on the dugout.

There are many ways in which the defending team can put an attacking player into touch. For simplicity, here are the five most popular methods:

• Strikeout: The batter was unable to earn the right to run to first base because the pitcher had three strikes in one inning.
• Ground out: The batter hits the ball into the infield, but the defensive player picks up the ball and throws it to the player standing on 1st base before the batter can touch it.
• Force out: The offensive player was supposed to run to a base (according to the rules), but the defensive player stepped onto that base with the ball in his hand before he could do so. Ground out is one of many variations of force out.
• Fly-out: The defensive player catches the batted ball before it touches the ground.
• Tag-out: A defensive player touches the offensive runner with the ball while the runner is between the bases.

Each game is divided into periods - “innings”, in each of which each team plays once in attack and defense. Each time three offensive players are out, the teams switch positions (thus, there are six outs in each inning - three for each team). Typically a game consists of 9 innings. If the score is tied at the end of the last inning, extra innings will be played. A baseball match cannot end in a tie; extra innings are scheduled until a winner is determined.

Serving and hitting the ball

• The pitcher gets a ball if the ball he threw flies past the strike zone, and the batter, noticing this during the flight of the ball, exercised his right to ignore it (that is, did not swing the bat);
• The batter receives a strike if he ignores a correctly thrown ball (flying in the strike zone);
• A batter also gets a strike if he swings the bat (the bat crosses the home line) and misses the ball, whether the ball was in the strike zone or not.

Thus, the basis of baseball is the confrontation between the pitcher and the batter. The pitcher must serve the ball in such a way that it is difficult for the batter to assess its trajectory and, accordingly, hit it; however, the pitcher must not make a mistake and throw the ball outside the strike zone. In turn, the batter must determine in a split second whether the pitcher's ball is in the strike zone (that is, whether it should be hit), and if so, then throw a hit that not only hits the ball, but also sends it flying. further into the field. The situation can completely turn around in a split second: if the pitcher made a mistake and threw the “wrong” ball, it would seem that he would receive a penalty point (ball), but if the batter also made a mistake, he decided that the ball was “right” and should be hit, swung the bat and missed the ball, then he gets a penalty point (strike). An additional difficulty for the pitcher is the need to take into account that, on the one hand, the ball should not be hit by the batter, but at the same time it should be caught by the catcher - otherwise, while the catcher is running to pick up the flyaway ball, the players of the opposing team may run to the next base (“ steal a base"). Often, teams develop secret signal systems that allow the pitcher to tell the catcher what throw he is about to throw.

If the batter hits the ball, but the ball flies out of bounds (foul line) or falls into the field, but rolls out of bounds between home and first or third base, then a foul ball is counted (in this case all attacking players must return to the bases where they were before batting). A foul ball is also considered a strike, unless the batter already has two strikes, in which case the count of balls and strikes does not change.

If a batter scores three strikes - called a strikeout - the batter is out of the game. In the event of four balls, the batter automatically takes first base. This situation is called a walk. Moreover, if there was already a player on first base, then this player moves to second base and so on. The batter automatically takes first base also if he is hit by pitch. In the event that the umpire believes that the pitcher is intentionally pitching to the batter (usually after several pitches to the batter in a row), the umpire may eject the pitcher.

Running between bases

A hit that travels across the entire field and beyond is called a home run. Such a blow allows the striker and all the runners to score points.

Players on the bases may try to run to the next base at the moment of pitching - to steal a base, but they risk being caught by surprise by the pitcher throwing the ball to a player on his team, or being caught by the catcher throwing the ball to the base they are trying to steal.

If the batter hits the ball so that it is caught, the runners must return to their bases and touch them again, after which they have the right to run to the next base if they believe they can do so according to the rules.

Playing field

A- home base

B- first base

IN- second base

G- third base

D- pitcher's slide

E- catcher's area

AND- foul lines

Z- field fencing

AND- striker's zones

TO- area for the first base coach

L- area for the third base coach

M- warm-up areas for the next batter

The square has a grass surface, with the exception of the corridors between the bases, a special platform for the pitcher (pitcher's mound) and a small area behind home base for the "catcher" (the defensive player who receives the pitcher's pitches).

The pitcher's hill is located in the center of the square and is raised 45 cm (for junior competitions 25 cm) above the general level of the field. A plate of bleached hard rubber is fixed to the top of the mound, which the pitcher must touch with his foot when throwing to the batter's home.

The home base or "house" is a bleached rubber pentagon with only two sides forming a wedge. The house is positioned so that the wedge points toward the catcher. The larger side of the rectangle faces the pitcher. The first, second and third bases are white squares of soft material, lined with canvas and secured to the ground with metal pegs.

The boundaries of the playing field are white chalk lines running from the top of the home plate to first and third bases and on to the outfield fence. These lines are called "fowl" lines because the area outside these lines is also called "fowl". The playing area is called “fer”. At the ends of the foul lines there are foul masts, relative to which it is determined whether the ball is in “fowl” or “fer” territory.

In stadiums intended for competitions among adult teams, the length of the foul lines must be at least 75 m, but can exceed 100 m (at the site for juniors - at least 50 m). The distance to the field fence in the center of the field must be greater than along the foul lines.

The part of the field between the square and the fence is called the “outfield” (far field), but the square and outfield are not separated by special markings and movement between them is not limited for defensive players. The outfield has a grass surface.

On both sides of the house there are rectangular batting areas (for left-handed and right-handed players). Behind the foul lines, five meters from the first and third bases, there are rectangular areas for the offensive team's coaches, whose task is to guide the progression of the attacking players around the bases. At a distance of 12 m from the house, near the benches of both teams, there are round areas for warming up the next striker.

Terms

• Out (English out) - a situation (or a referee's command), meaning that the attacking player in a given period (inning) is taken out of the game.
• Outfielder is a player of the defending team who patrols the outfield: right fielder, center and left players.
• Umpire - umpire, in baseball there are 4 umpires, one at each base and one at home.
• Bow (English bunt) - a short blow, after which the ball rolls back about a meter from the “base”.
• Side (English balk) - the referee's command, meaning a pitcher's error. In this case, attacking players currently at the bases have the right to move unhindered to the next base.
• Ball - a ball pitched by a pitcher outside the strike zone and not hit by the batter's bat. After four pitches in one series, the batter takes first base. After each serve, the referee announces the number of balls and strikes. If the pitched ball first hits the ground and then passes through the strike zone, the pitch is still considered a ball.
• Batter (English batter) - attacking batsman. Located at the “house” (on the left or on the right side- whatever is more convenient for him) in front of the catcher.
• Ground-out - the batter is thrown out after the defenders deliver the ball to first base before he can reach it.
• Grand Slam is a hit in which a team scores 4 points, that is, when there are runners on all four bases. Typically, the Big Hit is achieved by a home run.
• Double (English double) - a blow as a result of which the batter managed to run to second base.
• Double play - a rally during which the defense earned two outs. For example, in a situation where the offense was on first base, the batter hit the ball so that the defense got the ball to second base and then to first before the runner and batter could reach them, thus earning two outs.
Force double play - a game in which both outs occur as a result of a forced play. reverse forced double out (eng. reverse force double play) - a game in which the first out is forced, and the second is made by hitting the runner or base.
• An inning is a period of a baseball match during which teams play defense and attack once. Typically, a match consists of 9 innings.
• Inside-the-park home run - a hit in which the ball did not leave the playing field, but the batter managed to run through all the bases and return to the house, earning a point.
• Infield fly - a ball hit high in the air within fair territory and which can be easily caught by any player within the infield without special effort when first and second bases are occupied, or first, second and third bases are occupied in a situation with less than two outs. In this case, the striker is put out regardless of whether the ball was caught. The rule was introduced to prevent defensive players from earning a double forced out by deliberately failing to volley the ball.
• Catcher (English catcher) - a player located behind the house, receiving the ball served by the pitcher.
• Salting (English tag) - the base is considered salted if the player holding the ball touches it with some part of the body. A player is considered stung if the opponent touches him with the hand with the trap and the ball or with his free hand. If the defender managed to insult the base or player and then dropped the ball, the insult is counted. The deflated attacking player is thrown out. When the base is cleared, the player who did not manage to reach it before the opponent is thrown out.
• Pitcher is a player of the defending team who serves the ball.
• Awarded match - a match ended with a score of 9:0 by the decision of the referee as punishment for a team that grossly violated the rules.
• Run (eng. run) - a point earned by an attacking player.
• Runner is an offensive player who is on base (since he no longer has a bat, he ceases to be called a batter).
• Single - a hit as a result of which the batter managed to reach first base.
• Strike is an error fixed by the arbitrator in some specific cases. For example, if the ball touches the bat and goes straight into the catcher's trap. A strike, however, does not count if the catcher does not secure the ball or catches it as it bounces off the ground.
• Safe - a game situation that occurs when a runner reaches the base before the ball and captures it. The judge indicates this situation by spreading his arms to the sides.
• Time (English time) - a command from the referee, according to which the game immediately stops and resumes only after the command “play” (game).
• Triple - a hit that allows the batter to reach third base.
• Flyball is a ball hit high above the playing field and caught by defensive players before it touches the ground. In this case, the batter is out of the game, and the attackers have the right to start running only when the defender touches the ball with the trap.
• Foul (English faul) - a blow after which the ball goes over the side line. Counts as a strike if the pitcher has less than 2 strikes.
• Force play is a forced game when the attacking player is obliged to run to the next base.
• Hit - a hit in which the batter reached 1st, 2nd or 3rd base. If this successful run was preceded by an error by the defense players (inaccurate throw to the base, loss of the ball during reception), then an error (strike) is recorded for the defense.
• Shortstop is a player located between 2nd and 3rd base.
• Home run (eng. home run) - a hit in which the ball flies across the entire field and flies out beyond its boundaries.
• Hit by pitch is a situation in which the batter takes first base after being hit by the pitcher's ball.

Baseball rules for dummies

Many people know that baseball is one of the top 3 sports in America. But the rules of baseball remain a mystery for many Russian fans.

Let’s say right away: if you are going to thoroughly understand the rules of baseball, immediately go to the end of the note for the corresponding video. And we will reduce the rules to the most obvious questions that arise when watching the game.

HOW MANY PEOPLE PLAY ON EACH TEAM?

There are a lot of people, but no more than 9 people play at the same time.

The defending team has them all on the field in different positions.

For the attacking team, only one starts the game in the “house” (the man with the bat), and if he manages to run to any base or finds himself “out” (more on this below), then another baseball player takes the bat. The field can simultaneously contain a maximum of 4 people (one in the “house” and one at each of the three bases).

WHY IS EVERYONE RUNNING AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE SQUARE, OR WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE GAME?

When a baseball player successfully hits the ball with a bat, and then alternately runs from home to 1st base, then to 2nd, 3rd and back to home again, his team gets one point. Such successful runs do not happen very often - the most popular score in baseball is 7:4, although there are 11:3 and 1:0.

When three players of the attacking team are in touch, it goes on defense. In each inning, the team plays offensively and defensively once. There are 9 innings in total. In case of a tie after 9 innings, the 10th, 11th, etc. are played until the winner is determined. The record for the duration of one baseball match is over 7 hours.

WHO ARE THE MAIN PLAYERS ON THE FIELD?

The focus in baseball is always on the dueling pitcher and the batter.

A pitcher is a person who throws the ball. His team is on the defensive, and the better he throws and knocks opponents out of the game with “outs,” the faster his team will go on the attack.

A batter, or slugger, is a person who hits the ball with a bat. His team attacks and tries to score points. After hitting the ball, the batter throws his bat and runs around the perimeter of the square. Having reached 1st base, he becomes a runner. Now his teammate becomes the batter, and the ex-batter as a runner tries to run from 1st base to 2nd, then to 3rd and then to home.

Behind the back of the batter (who is with the bat) sits the catcher - with a trap. This is a person from the same team as the pitcher. His task is to catch the ball thrown by the pitcher if it is not hit by the opposing batter.

The other defensive players either guard their base (three men on each base plus a shortstop between 2nd and 3rd base) or catch the ball in the field (three men).

WHEN DOES A PITCHER THROW WELL AND WHEN DOES HE THROW BAD?

The pitcher must hit the ball in a strictly limited rectangle, the so-called “strike zone” - above the “home”, above the batter’s knee, but below his chest. This is monitored by a special judge. The pitcher's job is to leave the batter out. One of the main ways is to make a “strike out”, that is, three strikes.

A strike is essentially a successful throw.

As you understand, if the ball goes into the “zone strike”, and the batter does not hit it or ignores it, then the referee calls a “strike”. If the ball passes outside the “strike zone”, but the batter still swings the bat and misses, then it is a “strike” again. There are some tricks here - to put it simply, throw twice with all your strength, and the third time - a little weaker, so that the batter swings the bat ahead of time.

If the pitcher did not hit the “strike zone”, but the batter felt it and did not swing the bat, then the pitcher receives a “ball”. Four balls - the batter gets the right to take first base. The same thing happens if the pitcher hits the batter (who did not intentionally throw himself under the ball).

The pitcher must have not only strength and accuracy (a good pitcher always knows in which parts of the “strike zone” the batter hits the worst), but also cunning and tactical ingenuity. Pitchers are often the most valuable players on a team. The highest paid pitchers in Major League Baseball make up to $30 million a year.

WHY DOES A PITCHER SOMETIMES THROW THE BALL TO BASE?

If there is a player from the attacking team at the base, he can also be sent out. The fact is that the runner (an ex-batter who has reached at least first base) must be on base if the ball is suddenly delivered to it. But at the moment when the pitcher is preparing to throw, the runners are already taking a couple of steps towards the next base, and they can be caught doing it.

WHY DO YOU NEED A CATCHER?

If the catcher misses the pitcher's throw and misses the ball, the batter has the right to run to first base until the ball is picked up. Therefore, the catcher must also react in time to the throws of his partner pitcher and - moreover - often it is he who “orders” the pitcher with secret signs which throw to make.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HIT THE BALL WELL?

The ball flies at speeds of up to 170 km/h, and the batter usually has no more than 0.3 seconds to react to the pitcher's serve. At the same time, he must hit the ball into the field, and not over the sidelines. Difficult task. It is even more difficult to hit the ball so successfully that it flies outside the far semicircle. This is called a “home run”, after which the batter can slowly run around all the bases - for his team this is an automatic point.

At the same time, if the players of the defending team trap the ball without allowing it to hit the ground (even outside the far semicircle), then the batter is sent out. This is called a “fly-out” (the batter goes to the bench, and his partners, if they have time, return to the bases they were at).

There is also a “force out”, when the ball is delivered to the base before the attacking player gets there, and a “tag out”, that is, “tagging”, when the defensive player touches the attacking player running between the bases with the caught ball.

Sometimes a batter can make a sacrificial hit - simply put the bat under the ball. He flies not far, but this becomes a surprise for his opponents - and the batter’s partners (and sometimes he himself) manage to move between bases.

If the attacking player is on base, he is safe and is not in danger of being out. Each base can have one player from the attacking team at the same time.

BASEBALL RULES (VIDEO)

Here are all the rules of baseball for beginners in brief:

And if you seriously decide to become interested in this sport, then you can delve into the nuances for a very long time. Try, for example, listening to the rules of baseball for two hours in a video of the Washington Nationals playing against the New York Nets:

source: " Soviet sport»

From New York - straight to Paris. Roland Garros will take place after the US Open. The organizers announced that the tournament will not take place at the end of spring. But it won't be cancelled! Roland Garros for the first time in history will pass at the end of the season - a week after the US Open. 03/17/2020 21:00 Tennis Nikolay Mysin

Luch was finished off. But this is not the last victim of the virus in Russian football Leaders of the Primorsky Territory have stopped funding professional sports, directing budget funds to fight coronavirus. Thus, Luch will drop from the FNL to the third division. And such a scenario is now possible for many. 04/01/2020 12:00 Football Juma Ivan

Pelino has coronavirus. They did not want to let the head coach of Lokomotiv into the country. Mentor of Yaroslavl Lokomotiv Mike Pelino and his wife became infected with COVID-19. 03/30/2020 00:00 Hockey Kuznetsov Dmitry

Baseball is the game of millions. In the overall world ranking, this American pastime is in the TOP 3, second only to basketball and hockey. American fans are happy to spend 3-4 hours every evening on baseball because they understand the rules and understand who should run where. They can also easily answer the question of how many pitchers are on base in baseball.

Strange game

Most fans (including Russian ones) around the world will call it strange. Because almost everyone recognizes it as spectacular, dynamic, emotional, but almost no one understands the rules of baseball. Everyone understands how they score the ball in the hoop in the National Basketball Association or how deftly they move pucks from zone to zone in the NHL, but for most, the main mystery remains the constant movements of players on the baseball court.

Base, catcher, home, pitcher - baseball brings all these terms together, and anyone who can understand the rules will have great fun in this wonderful game. "How many pitchers are on base?" - you ask. Let's figure it out.

Brief Rules of Baseball

The general dictionary of baseball terms contains more than 30 words and phrases that not everyone understands. The main point of the game is for the pitcher - truly the main player on the court - to make a rather complex and tricky serve that the receiver could not return. The rest of the players clearly and quickly perform their functions: they catch the ball, run from base to base, and signal the movements of their partners.

How many pitchers are on base? Zero! And there will always be zero pitchers on any base. The pitcher is on the so-called hill, he delivers the ball, and he definitely has nothing to do on base. The main position of the pitcher is the mound, where he remains throughout the entire game. the main task pitcher's most powerful serve. For this he needs athletic build, excellent physical training, and also powerful shoulder girdle. The pitcher must be confident in himself and his professional skills, because the overall success of the team depends on 70-80 percent of his efforts. Will they be able to hit his pitch, will he earn a strike, who will be first on 2nd, 3rd base? It all depends on the pitcher's performance.

Real American show

We strongly recommend that you understand all the intricacies of baseball, because having understood the true essence of this wonderful game, any athlete or simply a person who is not indifferent to sports will be able to say with confidence how many bases are in baseball, who is a runner and what is a home run, as well as how many pitchers there are base.

This is a fascinating game that can capture your attention for at least three hours. It’s not for nothing that in America, going to a baseball game is considered a great pastime. Most Americans go to their local team's games every weekend, taking their children and close friends, as well as their pets, with them. If you want to get to know America better, watch baseball, if you want to get into the spirit of overseas sports, watch baseball, if you want to have a great evening, watch baseball. Enjoy watching!

Baseball baseball, from base - base, and ball - ball) is a team sports game with a ball and bat. The competition involves two teams of nine (sometimes ten) players each.

Baseball appeared in the United States at the beginning of the 19th century. It is believed that the basis of the game was the English game "rounders". The first official match was held in 1820 in New York.

Currently, baseball is played in more than 120 countries around the world. Baseball is most popular in the USA, Cuba, Japan, China and Korea. In the USA, Japan, the Czech Republic and other countries, softball is also common - a simplified version of baseball - a game that can be played indoors and on small fields. Related sports to baseball include cricket, pesapolo in Finland, oina in Romania, and lapta in Russia.

A baseball court is a sector, the rays of which diverge at right angles, and seem to divide the court into two zones: " infield" – internal field (square or rhombus with sides 27.45 m) and " outfield" – external field. At its corners of the internal field there are so-called " bases", around which the game is built. One of the bases is called " home"From there, the remaining bases are numbered counterclockwise. Inside the square there is a service circle, from where the ball is put into play.

From the house along the sides of the inner field to the stands, two lines diverge, limiting the outer playing field - this is " foul lines"If the ball goes beyond them, it is declared offside." foul ball", and the game stops.

The essence of the game comes down to a duel between two teams of nine people (substitutions are not limited, but the replaced player cannot return to the game). Teams alternate roles attacks And defense. At the beginning of the game, the visiting team plays offense and the home team plays defense. The attacking team is trying to earn points, and the defending team is trying in every possible way to prevent this.

The goal of the attack is to run through all the bases and return to the “home”, and the goal of the defense is to knock out 3 attacking players from the game (in baseball terminology, send them to “out”). As soon as the home team managed to send 3 opponents into touch, the teams change places. Now the hosts are attacking, the guests are defending.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF ATTACK TEAM PLAYERS

Batter- the player who is near home with the bat. He must skillfully spend his time in this role (at bat) in order to reach at least first base, or give the opportunity for runners on the bases to make a run to the next base (there cannot be more than one offensive player on the same base at the same time), and best option: both together.

If he managed to hit the ball accurately, he throws the bat and tries to run around as many bases as possible. If this is successful (the defense does not send him out), another player from the attacking team arms himself with a bat, becoming the new batter.

The batter can stop at any of the bases. After he has been sent out or reached base, another batter enters the game and everything starts all over again.

When the batter manages to hit the ball over the fence, he and all his partners on the bases can run unhindered towards home. Such a hit is called a “home run” and thus brings the team from 1 to 4 points (depending on the number of people on the bases during the “home run”).

A good hitter predicts the trajectory of the ball as it leaves the pitcher's hand and, by predicting the flight, estimates the position of the infield players in the mere fraction of a second during which the ball reaches him.

Running- a former batter who either hit a ball pitched by the pitcher or reached 1 base on a base-on-ball, hit-by-pitch, or catcher's interference. His task is to run through all the bases (1 – 2 – 3 – house), touching each of them in turn, and bring a point (by touching the house).

The task of each player from the attacking team is to alternately hit the ball served by the pitcher (being in the role of a batter) and, thanks to the successful actions of partners or the mistakes of opponents, move from base to base. If you manage to visit all the bases and return to the “home”, then the attacking team gets a point.

POSITIONING AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF DEFENSE TEAM PLAYERS

– the main player of the team stands in the center of the inner field on a small earthen embankment (“hill”). He starts the game by serving. The pitcher’s task is to make life easier for his teammates, namely: to serve the ball in such a way that the hitter either cannot hit at all (there are many techniques to beat the hitter, for example, a very strong serve, spinning the ball, etc.), or so that the hit is missed. it turned out to be unsuccessful (easy for the defenders to accept). However, the ball must fly over the home plate and not higher than the armpit and not lower than the batter’s knee, through the so-called “strike zone”), which is closely monitored by the referee.

If the pitcher manages to throw the ball in this manner and the batter does not hit it, or if the batter throws the ball but misses the ball (in which case it does not matter where the ball was thrown), the pitcher is awarded a "strike". The batter is out after 3 strikes. However, if the ball does not fly into the zone and the batter does not throw an inaccurate hit, the pitcher is awarded a ball. After 4 balls, the batter automatically takes 1st base. The batter also has the right to take 1st base if the pitcher hits him with a ball.

The pitcher also helps defend all the bases.

Catcher squats behind the "house". His responsibility is to catch the ball served by the pitcher, provided, of course, that the batter did not hit the ball. In addition, it protects the home and insures 1st and 3rd bases.

With his free hand (he has a catcher on his other hand), he quickly shows the pitcher what kind of pitch to make - a strong one, a sliding one, or a completely unexpected one. The catcher's finger, facing inward, outward, up, down, indicates how to throw the ball in relation to the base.

First baseman receives the ball hit by the batter between 1st and 2nd bases, defends first base, insures home and 2nd base.

Second baseman receives the ball hit by the batter between 2nd and 1st bases, defends second base, insures 1st and 2nd bases.

Third baseman takes the hitter's ball between 3rd and 2nd bases, defends third base, and insures the home.

Shortstop located between the bases depending on the situation on the field, usually between first and second base. He receives the ball hit by the batter between 2nd and 3rd bases, defends 2nd base, insures 2nd and 3rd bases.

Three outfielders play outfield. They take the ball missed by the defenders of the 2nd and 3rd bases.

The players of the defending team, having received the hit ball, send it to their partners located near the bases as soon as possible so that these players can touch the ball ( show off) of the attacking player, thereby preventing him from occupying the next base and removing this attacker from the game.

When the ball is hit by a batter, the defense may throw the batter out in the following manner:

• catch the ball on the fly;
• run with the ball to first base before the batter gets there;
• to insult the batter with the ball in his hand.

It is not uncommon for a pitcher to throw a ball with a trajectory offset to the right or left, or to pitch so that the ball crosses home base much higher or lower than expected, while also varying the speed of the ball. For example, if a pitcher serves the ball twice at high speed, then the batter has the right to expect the next pitch to have a curved flight path. Instead, the pitcher changes tactics and throws the ball with less force, hoping that the batter will swing the bat early and miss the ball.

Three accurate, irresistible throws - and the batter from the attacking team is thrown out, giving way to another player. If, on the contrary, the pitcher makes four illegal pitches in one series, then the batter gets the right to take first base without a fight, and this game situation is called a “walk” or “base on balls.”

A ball pitched into the strike zone and not hit by the bat is called a " strike", and a ball pitched outside the strike zone and not hit by the bat, the umpire calls "Ball". If the batter swings but misses the ball, it does not matter whether the ball was in the strike zone or not, this is also considered a strike, just like a ball hit out of bounds. If the batter already has two strikes, a ball hit out of bounds is not considered a strike unless the defending player catches the ball on the fly, in which case the batter is out. game. If the ball is not caught or falls to the ground beyond the side line, another pitch follows. If the ball flies outside the strike zone, then the umpire located behind the catcher records the error and calls out “Ball.” After four such errors, the batter automatically gets the right to take first base. After each pitch, the umpire announces the number of balls and strikes (say, "two balls, one strike") so that the players can vary tactics. After three "strikes", the batter is out (out of the game). He is also eliminated from the game in the following cases: if he manages to strike, but the defensive field players manage to volley the ball; if the ball touches the ground after being hit, but is caught and arrives at base before the runner himself.

The winner is the team that succeeds in nine innings(during each inning, the opponents play offense and defense once each) make more complete base runs and thus score more points. There are no ties in baseball. If the score is tied at the end of the ninth inning, then the tenth, eleventh inning is assigned, etc., until one team takes the lead. The time of the fight is not limited. However, it may happen that by the end of the seventh inning one of the teams will have a 10-run advantage. In this case, the game is stopped and the victory is declared by “knockout” (a typical baseball score is 7:4, but 1:0 or, for example, 12:2 is also not uncommon).

INVENTORY

Ball- consists of several parts: inside there is a small rubber ball wrapped in felt threads impregnated with glue. The outside is covered in leather. The ball is quite hard, the weight of the ball is about 150g, the diameter is about 7cm.

Bits– There are several types: wooden and bits made of various alloys. Bits vary in weight and diameter.

Traps– each player has his own trap with which he catches the ball during the game. Traps come in different shapes, depending on what position the player is playing.

The catcher has the most interesting equipment. It consists of: knee pads, a breastplate, a helmet mask and a special “thick” trap. Such ammunition protects him from accidental injuries. Traps are selected depending on which hand the player throws the ball with. For example, if a player throws a ball right hand, then the trap is on his left hand.

Baseball, as many experts and connoisseurs of this game note, requires not only speed and strength, but also intelligence and ingenuity. Although this is a team game, the outcome of the competition depends on the actions of individual players. The course of a match can change dramatically because of a single serve, one intercepted ball or an unsuccessful swing of the bat. The eight players behind the pitcher and the eight players on the batter's team waiting for their turn to pick up the bat are just a backdrop as the pitcher throws the ball at 150 km/h. The batter has only three tenths of a second to decide whether to hit or miss the ball. In other words, although baseball requires coordinated action, the game nevertheless consists of the individual actions of two or three players.

The breaks between innings provide rest after turbulent experiences, they are pleasant and bring calm. There is an established tradition known as the seventh-inning warm-up, in which fans rise from their seats and stretch while the teams switch positions.

Refereeing baseball games is no easier than playing them, and may be even more difficult. After all, only in baseball does the umpire have the right to take a break after controversial moments to check the rules, think a little and then announce his decision.

Some baseball terms

"Single" - a hit that allowed the batter to reach first base

"Double" - a hit that resulted in the batter being able to run to second base

"Triple" - a hit that resulted in the batter being able to run to third base

"Hit" - any accurate hit on the ball that allows the batter to reach base

"Foul" – a hit after which the ball goes over the side line. It is considered a “strike” if the pitcher has less than 2 strikes.

"Strike out" – the batter is out after 3 strikes

"Fly-out" - the batter is out after the defenders catch the ball on the fly

"Ground Out"" - the batter is out after the defenders deliver the ball to first base before he can reach it

"Wok" – the batter takes 1st base after 4 balls

"Ran" – a point defended by the team whose player reached the house

"Runner" - an offensive player who is on base (since he no longer has a bat, he ceases to be called a batter)

"Empire" – umpire (in baseball there are 4 umpires, one at each base and one at home)

"No-hitter" – The pitcher did not allow a single hit during the entire game.

"Perfect game" – The pitcher did not allow a single player to take 1st base during the entire game (very rare)