By: Rebecca Frank
MLB rules and regulations are extensive and often very specific which can be confusing to the novice fan. Here is a quick overview to the rules of major league baseball to clear up any confusion you may have.
The Teams
- Each team has 25 players and a manager, except during September, when the roster expands to 40 players. A team can only field 9 players at a time.
- All players on the team are required to wear identical uniforms. Each uniform must have identical six-inch numbers on the back, below the player's last name.
The Field
- The infield is a perfect diamond. The bases are 90 feet apart from each other. The foul area is the area behind the lines connecting home plate to first base and home plate to third base.
- Home base is marked by a pentagonal white rubber base. The other bases are marked by square rubber bases which are covered by white canvas bags.
The Gear
- Baseballs are made of rubber, which is wrapped in yarn and covered with two layers of leather.
- The bat is a smooth, rounded wooden stick. The bat can't be longer than 42 inches.
- All field players are allowed to use a leather glove for catching the ball. The catcher and the first baseman's mitts have specific measurement requirements.
- All players must use a single- or double-ear flat protective helmet while at bat. All catchers must wear a catcher's helmet.
The Game
- The pitcher delivers the pitch to the batter, who stands at home plate. The batter can either try to hit the ball or let it go to the catcher.
- A pitch that is not hit into the field of play is either a "strike" or a "ball."
- A strike occurs when the batter swings and misses the ball or allows an acceptable pitch to pass to the catcher. A batter who has three strikes is eliminated from that turn and the next batter takes his place.
- A "ball" is when the batter chooses not to swing and the pitch is deemed unsatisfactory. Four balls in a row allow the batter earn a free walk to first base.
- If the batter hits the ball into the foul area, it doesn't count and all players reset for another pitch.
- The offensive team's objective is to have its batter hit the ball without the defensive team catching it. If they don't, the batter becomes a runner. The batter runs counterclockwise around the bases and all other runners continue on the same path.
- Once a runner travels all the way around the bases, it counts as a run and the team earns a point. If the runner travels around the bases in one turn, this is called a home run.
- The defensive team's goal is to keep offensive players from becoming runners through catching the balls they hit or tagging runners with the ball as they run the bases.
- When three offensive players are eliminated, the teams switch sides.
Winning the Game
- The game is over after nine innings. The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins.
- If the teams have the same number of runs, extra innings are added until one team beats the other by the end of an inning.
MLB Rules and Regulations: Statistics
It's important to know what MLB statistics mean if you're gearing up to choose your baseball picks. Some basic stats include:
- Hits: number of times the player reached first base
- Runs: number of times the player circled the bases and came back to home plate
- Home runs: number of home runs the player scored
Major league baseball may seem confusing, but it is much easier to understand when you watch a game. Try to catch a game near you or watch one on television!
