Baseball5 (B5) is an internationally played safe haven game with many of the same rules as baseball and softball, which is governed alongside those sports by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC).[1]
The game revolves around two teams of five players taking turns playing offense and defense, with each of the offensive team's players taking turns hitting a small rubber ball with their bare hands into the field of play (which is a 21 m (68.90 ft)-square),[2] and then running counterclockwise around four bases (13 m (42.65 ft) apart) laid out in a square shape to score a run, while the defensive team tries to eliminate ("get out") offensive players before they complete their trip around the bases to prevent them from scoring. Outs (eliminations) occur either when a hit ball is caught before it touches the ground by a defender, or (in specific situations) when a defender with the ball either touches the base a runner is supposed to reach, or touches the runner themselves. Offensive players can also get themselves out by illegally hitting the ball or for breaking the rules while running the bases.
The teams switch roles after three outs are made, with an "inning" being completed when both teams have played offense once. The game is played to five innings, with any ties being broken by playing extra innings as necessary, and games generally lasting 15 to 20 minutes. Oftentimes, a best-of-three (or even best-of-five) series is played to determine the result of a matchup between two teams.[3][4] Unlike baseball/softball, there is no pitcher, with the batter (offensive player who hits the ball) starting each play with the ball, which is the only equipment used in the game.[5][6][7]
The WBSC proposed the game in 2017 with the intention of growing baseball/softball on a global level,[8] claiming that the game's low cost, fast pace, and small field make it a more accessible and appealing entry point to those sports.[9][10] It organizes a mixed-gender B5 World Cup for senior and youth players in alternating years, with teams required to field at least two active players per gender.[11][12][13] The game is also scheduled to be played in a mixed-gender format at the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics,[14] and has started to find adoption in schools, national championships, and other international events around the world.[15][16][17][18][19]
^"Spelregels • PLAY BASEBALL5". PLAY BASEBALL5 (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2020-08-03. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
^"Baseball5 World Cup Preview: El Zocalo set to welcome the best of Baseball5 as 12 teams chase World Championship glory". World Baseball Softball Confederation. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
^"France won the inaugural U-17 Baseball5 European Championship". WBSC Europe. Retrieved 2022-11-20. Due to a prolonged power outage in the venue's hall, all series scheduled for the final day was taken from a best-of-five series to a best-of-three series.
^"OFFICIAL WBSC BASEBALL5 RULEBOOK 2023" (PDF). World Baseball Softball Confederation
^"WBSC look to grow sport with Baseball5 discipline". www.insidethegames.biz. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
^"Maurizio Balla leads Italy in Baseball5 European Championship". Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball. Retrieved 2021-09-25.
^"Riccardo Fraccari: WBSC's culture of innovation brings series of firsts to 2022". www.insidethegames.biz. 2022-12-17. Retrieved 2022-12-17.
^Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference :12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cooper, JJ (March 1, 2018). "WBSC Proposes New Street Baseball Game". Baseball America. Archived from the original on 2019-05-17. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
^"WBSC Baseball5 World Cups 2021-2029". wbsc.org. Archived from the original on 2021-04-18. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
^Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Australian Gov puts Baseball5 in schools, reaching millions of youth". wbsc.org. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
^"La France signe un partenariat pour introduire le Baseball5 à l'école". wbsc.org (in French). Retrieved 2021-09-25.
^Cite error: The named reference :10 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference :11 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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