Baseball

Rules Each team has 9 players plus substitutes. The only ways you can be out is by being caught, tagged, struck out or out on a base. The term “three out, all out!” means that 3 batters are out and the teams must swap places. If a game is tied at the end of the 9 th innings, one innings at a time is played until one team gets ahead.

Baseball Pitching

The Grip 1 st and 2 nd fingers slightly apart Place across any seam / stitching Place thumb directly underneath finger

Pitching Take a little starter step with the same foot as your throwing arm. Drop throwing arm next to hip.Take throwing arm back straight. Step forward with foot opposite to throwing arm. Bring throwing arm forward towards target. Bring ball forward along side of head.

Strike Zone Is the area over the plate and between knees & armpits of the batter It is a strike when the batter swings at a ball outside the strike zone the batter doesn’t swing at a ball in the strike zone A pitch outside the strike zone is called a ‘ball’ If the pitcher pitches 4 balls at you, you may walk to first base.

Baseball Fielding

Basic elements of catching Get in line with the flight of the ball Watch the ball into the mitt Absorb force by “giving” with the ball Use the palm of the glove.

Catching Above the waist Fingers up Palms up Below the waist Fingers down Palms down Outfield Stay a long way back because it is quicker & easier to run in than to backpedal.

Groundballs Feet apartBend knees Elbows inside your knees

Baseball Batting

The Swing Relaxed grip Arms away from body Position yourself so swing goes over plate Keep eyes on the ball Swing flat.

Hitting Zone If the batter swings and misses on strike three and the catcher catches the ball then batter is out catcher drops the ball then batter runs to 1 st base before he is out on base if

Hitting Zone Right – handed batter hitting zone is on the left hand side. Left – handed batter hitting zone is on the right hand side.

Foul Balls A foul ball is hit outside the line between home and 1 st or 3 rd base. The only way to go out on a foul is to be caught. The 1 st and 2 nd foul is always a strike in baseball but is never a 3 rd strike

Base Runners When a fly ball is caught Hitter is out all base runners must run back to their original base before they are out on a base leads to a possible double or triple play Example hitter is caught and one/two base runners are played out Base runners can overrun 1 st base only. If a base runner is forced to run he can be out on a base or tagged. Base runners cannot steal bases on a foul ball.