Overview of the rules of baseball at different levels and in different countries
This article is about the rules of baseball. For the tort law rule governing liability for injuries to spectators from foul balls, see Baseball Rule.
Cover of Official Base Ball Rules, 1921 edition, used by the American League and National League
Throughout the history of baseball, the rules have frequently changed as the game continues to evolve. A few common rules most professional leagues have in common is that four balls is a base on balls, three strikes is a strikeout, and three outs end a half-inning.
Baseball evolved out of bat-and-ball games in the mid-19th century, and its modern rules are largely based on those first published in 1848.[1] Most rule sets are generally based on the Official Baseball Rules (OBR) published by Major League Baseball (MLB), though various minor variations exist from league to league; the World Baseball Softball Confederation maintains its own official rule set for international competition.[2]
^Thorn, John, Baseball in the Garden of Eden: the Secret History of the Early Game. New York: Simon & Schuster 2011
^"Major milestone in international baseball: WBSC unveils Official Rules of Baseball". WBSC.org.
Throughout the history of baseball, the rules have frequently changed as the game continues to evolve. A few common rules most professional leagues have...
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which he mentioned the unwritten rules of baseball. Baseball is a game played with bat and ball and governed by rules set forth by a committee under the...
American tort law, the BaseballRule is an exculpatory clause applicable to baseball games with spectators; it holds that a baseball team or its sponsoring...
League Baseball draft (officially the Rule 4 draft; also known as the First Year Player Draft) is the primary mechanism of Major League Baseball (MLB)...
disregarded. Starting with the Knickerbocker Rules in 1845, and the National League Rules in 1877, the rules of baseball have evolved over time. The 2014 edition...
The infield fly rule is a rule of baseball and softball that treats certain fly balls as though caught, before the ball is caught, even if the infielder...
the previous count. The balk rule in Major League Baseball was introduced in 1898. According to the Official BaseballRules: "Umpires should bear in mind...
play in the major leagues. The Rule 5 draft is named for its place in The Official Professional BaseballRules Book. The Rule 4 draft—more widely known as...
League Baseball, the position is authorized by Rule 5.11 of the Official BaseballRules. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and by the National League...
The question of the origins of baseball has been the subject of debate and controversy for more than a century. Baseball and the other modern bat, ball...
States have mercy rules for sports including baseball, softball, American football and association football. However, mercy rules usually do not take...
York City's Knickerbocker Club, produced a code of baseballrules now called the Knickerbocker Rules. The practice, common to bat-and-ball games of the...
section refer to those described within the Official BaseballRules, under which Major League Baseball is played. The starting point for much of the action...
to decide whether the pitch passed through the zone. The Official BaseballRules (Rule 8.02(a), including Comment) state that objections to judgment calls...
basis for the rules of the modern game, although this is disputed. The rules are informally known as the "New York style" of baseball, as opposed to...
and weighs between 5.00 and 5.25 ounces. Baseballrules Comparison between cricket and baseball "Official Rules – MLB.com: Official info". Retrieved 2009-08-30...
"runs batted in". The 2018 edition of the Official BaseballRules of Major League Baseball (MLB), Rule 9.04 Runs Batted In, reads: A run batted in is a...
World Baseball Classic Rules In addition to the standard rules of baseball, the World Baseball Classic employs the following additional rules: A player...
automatic double (or rule-book double) is commonly called a ground rule double. Major League Baseball (MLB) has a set of universal ground rules that apply at...
rules are essentially those of Major League Baseball (MLB), but technical elements are slightly different: The Nippon league uses a smaller baseball,...
South Wales Baseball Association, (still playing under English Baseball Association rules), who in turn were replaced by the Welsh Baseball Union. The...
Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), including teams affiliated with MLB clubs. Entering...
college baseball game under the Knickerbocker Rules still in use today was played in New York on November 3, 1859, between the Fordham Rose Hill Baseball Club...
a Rule – Society for American Baseball Research". Retrieved 4 September 2020. "Law 21: No Ball". www.lords.org. Retrieved 4 September 2020. "rules - Possible...
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