A baseball match is between two teams of nine players.
One team bats while the other fields.
The batter stands on home base.
The pitcher, from the fielding team, stands on the pitcher's mound.
He pitches the ball to the batter who tries to hit the ball with a bat.
The bat is made of aluminum.
How baseball is played
©iStock
When the batter hits the ball he runs from base to base around the diamond-shaped field. If a batter makes it all the way around the field, a run is scored for the team.
The pitcher pitches the ball. The referee and the catcher are behind the batter. ©iStock
If the batter misses the ball, known as a strike, it is caught by the catcher and thrown back to the pitcher. If the batter misses the ball three times, then the batter is out.
A batter is also out if a fielder touches the batter with the ball while the batter is running between bases. The batter is out too if a fielder gets to a base with the ball before the batter gets to it.
A player is tagged at a base. The referee indicates OUT! ©iStock
Umpires behind each base make sure that players obey the rules.
A team's innings is over when three players are out. Each team has nine innings in a baseball match.
Players on the fielding team wear mitts to catch the ball. The catcher, behind the batter, wears a face mask and padding on the legs and chest for protection from the fast, hard baseball.
Did you know?
Modern baseball was invented by Alexander J. Cartwright in the USA in 1846.
Baseball became an official Olympic sport for men in 1992 and until 2008. It will return as an Olympic sport in 2020
It’s a good idea to get information from more than one source
A baseball field is diamond shaped. There are four bases, one at each corner of the field.©iStock
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