Baseball

How the game unfolds

Baseball pits two teams of nine players against each other on a diamond-shaped field. The contest lasts for nine innings, with each inning split into a top half and a bottom half. In the top half, the visiting team bats while the home side defends. Once the visitors are retired, the teams switch roles for the bottom half. The match ends when both teams have completed their nine turns at bat, unless the home team takes the lead before their final half, in which case the game stops early.

Scoring and outs

Runners score by circling the bases in order: first, second, third, and finally home plate. A batter becomes a runner by hitting the ball into fair territory or drawing four balls from the pitcher. To record an out, the fielding team must either catch a batted ball before it touches the ground, tag a runner with the ball, or throw the ball to a base before the runner arrives. Three outs end each half-inning.

Fouls and penalties

A foul ball is one hit outside the boundary lines. Unlike many sports, fouls do not incur penalties such as free throws or yellow cards. Instead, a foul counts as a strike against the batter. Three strikes result in a strikeout, another method of recording an out. If a batter accumulates four balls, they are awarded first base on a walk. There are no timeouts in baseball; play continues until all three outs are made or the ninth inning concludes.

Substitutions and structure

Teams may substitute players freely during dead balls, though once a player leaves the field, they cannot return. Pitchers are particularly vulnerable to substitution, often replaced after facing three batters or showing signs of fatigue. This strategic rotation keeps fresh arms on the mound. The sport’s global structure centres around Major League Baseball in North America, which operates a regular season followed by playoffs. Other leagues exist in Japan, South Korea, and Latin America, each following similar rules but with local variations in scheduling and team composition.