• Journalist George Will says of baseball, "...baseball is a habit....the slowly rising crescendo of each game, the rhythm of the long season -- these are the essentials and they are remarkably unchanged....if someone from President McKinley's era were brought back and seated in a ball park, nothing much would seem unfamiliar. Of how many American institutions can that be said?"The New York Times: Creating the National Pastime
• Who wouldn't want to be a part of this great American institution? Of course, you can participate as a spectator, but it's lots more fun to get into the game. So let's get started, and learn all about How to Play Baseball!

The Object of the Game

• The object of the game of |baseball is to score the most runs.
  • A run is scored when a player on the offensive (batting) team advances around all four bases, touching each in turn, without being "put out" by a player on the defensive (fielding) team.VOA: To Touch All Bases: Baseball Rules!

The Teams

Baseball is played by two teams. Each team has nine players in the game at a time.

The Field

• A baseball field consists of an infield, with exposed dirt, and a grassy outfield. If you're interested in the specifics of how to construct a field, Baseball Almanac has detailed dimensions and layout tips.Baseball Almanac: Baseball Field Layout and Construction

1. The infield, sometimes referred to as the diamond, is laid out in a square. The precise field dimensions vary by age group.PBS: Baseball for Beginners Major League fields have 90 feet between each base, while Little League bases are only 60 feet apart.
   1. The starting and ending base is called home plate. Home plate resides within the batter's box.
   2. The other corners, going counter clockwise from home, are first base, second base and third base.
   3. In the middle of the infield is the pitcher's mound, where the pitcher stands to throw the ball to the batter.
2. The outfield consists of the area beyond the infield, bordered by the first and third baselines.

Innings

• An inning consists of two halves, called the "top" and the "bottom".Expert Village Video: Innings

1. The top of the inning comes first. During the top, the players on the visiting team attempt to hit the ball and score runs. At the same time, the team who is hosting the game is "in the field", and is trying to prevent the visiting team from scoring.
2. In the bottom of the inning, which is the second half, the roles are switched, with the visiting team in the field, and the home team at bat.
3. Major League games consist of 9 innings; youth leagues generally only play six or seven innings.
4. At the end of the top of the last inning, if the home game is ahead, the game will end.

1. The batter gets up to three strikes, while attempting to hit the ball.British Olympic Association: Baseball Rules After three strikes he is charged with an out, and the at bat ends. There are several different ways to incur a strike:
   1. Hitting the the ball into foul territory (unless the batter already has two strikes)
   2. Swinging without making contact with the ball
   3. Not swinging on a pitch that the umpire decides was inside the strike zone
2. The pitcher is required to throw pitches inside the strike zone.MLB: The Strike Zone A pitch outside the strike zone, that a batter refused to swing at, is called a "ball". After the fourth "ball" in an at bat, the batter is entitled to walk to first base.

• The goal of the offensive team is to get around the bases. The first step in doing this is to get on base. Although there are technically 23 ways for a batter to reach first base, the most common ways are by hitting or walking.The Hard Ball Times: Rules and Quirks

• When play begins, all nine members of the defensive team take their positions on the field, and the member of the offensive team who is at bat approaches home plate, and takes a position in the batter's box.Jim's Baseball Rules: Rules for Position of the Batter in the Batter's Box

1. The pitcher throws the ball towards the batter.
2. The batter attempts to hit the ball with the bat to a location that is within the field of play, but out of the reach of the defensive players.
   1. If he is able to hit the ball, he starts to run around the bases.
   2. If he successfully reaches first base without being called out, he can stop or attempt to continue to run around the bases.
   3. If the ball is caught, or can be thrown to first base before he gets there, he is out.
   4. If he continues to run and the ball can be thrown to the next base before he safely gets there, he is out.
3. After the first batter is either safely on base, or out, the next batter takes a turn at bat.
4. The first batter will attempt to reach additional bases safely during the next batter's turn at bat.
5. The offensive and defensive roles are switched after three offensive players are out.

• Players bat in a fixed order. The order can change from game to game, but once it is set for a game, it's fixed for that game. After the last batter in the order has hit, the first batter comes up again. For example, if the final out in an inning is made by the fifth batter in the order, then the sixth batter will be the first to hit when the team has its next turn at bat. When a player is substituted for during the game, the substitute takes his place in the batting order.

• A batter becomes a baserunner once he gets on base. In order to score a run, a baserunner must move around all the bases, touching each in turn.Baseballexcellence.com: Instructions and Fundamentals There are many detailed rules and strategies for baserunning, but a few of the key points are:
  • Only one runner can occupy a base at a time.
  • Runners must stay on the base paths
  • Baserunners must advance in orderCoach Jim's: Baserunning Tips and Drills
• Stealing is legal in baseball! If a base runner is able to reach the next base during another player's at bat, before the ball is hit fairly, he is said to have stolen the base.VideoJug Video: Stealing Bases In Baseball

• The objective for the team who is playing in the field is to get three players on the batting team out.
• Although there are technically 16 ways a batter can be called out, the most common are:

1. The batter hits a ball that is caught by a fielder before it touches the ground.
2. First base is touched by a fielder holding a ball that he hit, before he gets there.
3. He strikes out.Google Books: Baseball Field Guide

• A base runner is out when:

1. He is between bases and is tagged by a fielder holding the ball
2. A fielder holding the ball has touched the base in front of him, and the base he previously occupied is now occupied by another base runner. This is called a force play.Baseball Almanac: Baseball Rules

• The single most important thing to remember when fielding in baseball is this--keep the ball in front of you.QC Baseball: Baseball Coaching: How to Field Ground Balls It's much better to have to run towards a ball, than to have to chase it if it goes past you.

• A ground ball is hit (no surprise here) on the ground. They are usually fielded by the infield. In order to successfully field a ground ball, an infielder should:

1. Know where you are going to throw the ball before you get it.
   • Are you trying to get an out at first? Or are you looking to throw a base-runner out at home?
2. Get into your ready position when the batter comes up to the plate. Buzzle: Fielding Ground Balls
3. Keep your eye on the ball as you move towards it.
4. Guide the ball into your mitt.
5. Pivot, point your shoulder at your target and throw the ball.

• A pop-up, otherwise known as a fly ball, is a ball hit high enough that a fielder can get underneath it before he catches it.New Scientist: Why a Baseball 'Pop-Up' is Tricky to Catch (April 13, 2008)

1. Know where all the base runners are, so you have a chance to make an out in addition to catching the pop-up.
2. Stay back until the ball is hit, moving forward as you make the catch.

• The pitcher's primary responsibility is to throw a pitch in the strike zone that the batter can't hit.The Complete Pitcher: Pitching Mastery They usually throw a variety of pitches, such as a fastball, a curveball or a knuckleball. Pitchers also back up the fielders on plays, particularly in the case of a bunt or a passed ball that results in a play at home plate.

• The catcher is a pivotal position on a baseball team. He determines which pitch the pitcher will throw, and where it will be targeted.Baseball Catchers: Catching Skills He receives the ball, and helps to keep base runners from advancing, by throwing the ball to fielders who can make an out. He is also the fielder generally responsible for making outs at home plate.

• Take every opportunity you can to watch the game, whether attending a live game in a ball park, or watching one on TV. You can practice hitting and fielding skills by yourself, or with a friend, in between games. Pick up games are also fun ways to learn the game, before you put your skills to the test in a formal league! Most all--have fun, and remember, its only a game!