Baseball (from base - base, and ball - ball) is a team sports game with a ball and a bat. The competition involves two teams of nine (sometimes ten) players each.

Baseball appeared in the United States at the beginning of the XIX century. It is believed that the basis of the game was the English game "rounders". The first official match was held in 1820 in New York.

At the moment, baseball is played in more than 120 countries around the world. Baseball is most popular in the United States, Cuba, Japan, China and Korea. In the United States, Japan, the Czech Republic and other countries, softball is also common - a simplified version of baseball - a game that can be held indoors and on small fields. Related sports to baseball include cricket, pesapolo in Finland, oina in Romania and lapta in Russia.

A baseball court is a sector whose rays diverge at right angles, and as if divide the site into two zones: "infield" - an internal field (a square or rhombus with sides of 27.45 m) and "outfield" - an external field. At its corners of the inner field are the so-called "bases", around which the game is built. One of the bases is called "home". From it, counterclockwise, the numbering of the remaining bases is conducted. Inside the square is a circle of serve, from where the ball is introduced into the game.

From the house along the sides of the inner field to the stands there are two lines that limit the outer playing field - these are the "fal-lines". If the ball flies behind them, the offside position of "fal-ball" is declared, and the game stops.

The essence of the game is reduced to the combat of two teams of nine people (substitutions are not limited, but the replaced player can no longer return to the game). The teams alternate betweenthe roles of offenseanddefense. At the beginning of the game, the visiting team plays in attack, and the home team plays in defense. The attacking team is trying to earn points, and the defender is trying to prevent it in every possible way.

The purpose of the attack is to run through all the bases and return to the "house", and the defense is to get 3 offensive players out of the game (in baseball terminology, send to the "out"). As soon as the home team managed to send 3 opponents out, the teams switch places. Now the hosts are attacking, the visitors are defending.

DUTIES OF OFFENSIVE TEAM PLAYERS

Batter (batter) is a player who is near the "house" with a bat. He must skillfully spend his time in this role (on the bat) in order to reach at least the first base, or allow those running on the bases to make a run to the next base (on one base there can not be more than one offensive player at the same time), and the best option: both together.

If he manages to strike the ball accurately, he throws the bat and tries to run around as many bases as possible. If this succeeds (the defense will not send him out), another player from the attacking team is armed with a bat, becoming a new batter.

Batter can stop at any of the bases. Once it has been sent out or reached the base, another batter comes into play and it all starts at the beginning.

When the batter manages to hit the ball over the fence, he and all his partners at the bases can freely run to the "house". Such a shot is called a "home run" and it thus brings the team from 1 to 4 points (depending on the number of people on the bases during the "home run").

A good shooter anticipates the trajectory of the ball when it flies out of the pitcher's hand and, predicting flight, assesses the position of the players on the home field in a matter of fractions of a second, in which the ball reaches him.

A runner is a former hitter who either hit a ball served by a pitcher or went to 1 base on "base-on-ball", on "hit-by-pitch" or on catcher interference. His task is to run through all the bases (1 – 2 – 3 – house), touching each of them in turn, and bring a point (touching the house).

The task of each player from the attacking team is to alternately beat the ball served by the pitcher (being in the role of a batter) and, thanks to the successful action of partners or the mistakes of opponents, move from base to base. If you manage to visit all the bases and return to the "house", then the attacking team is credited with a point.

PLACEMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF DEFENSIVE TEAM PLAYERS

Pitcher – the main player of the team stands in the center of the inner field on a small earthen mound ("slide"). He starts the game by producing a serve. The task of the pitcher is to make life easier for his teammates, namely: to serve the ball in such a way that the batter either could not hit at all (there are many techniques to beat the batter, for example, a very strong serve, twisting the ball, etc.), or that his shot turned out to be unsuccessful (easy for the defenders to receive). However, the ball must fly over the "house" and not above the armpit and not below the batter's knee, through the so-called "strike zone"), which the referee closely monitors.

If the pitcher manages to throw the ball in this way and the batter did not hit it, or if the batter struck but did not hit the ball (in this case, it does not matter where the ball was thrown), the pitcher is protected by a "strike". Batter is eliminated after 3 strikes. However, if the ball does not fly in the zone and the batter does not strike inaccurately, the pitcher is protected by a "ball". After 4 "pains", the batter automatically occupies the 1st base. Batter is also eligible to take 1st base if the pitcher hits him with the ball.

Pitcher also helps protect all bases.

Catchersquats behind the house. It is his duty to catch the ball served by the pitcher, provided, of course, that the batter does not hit the ball. In addition, he protects the house, insures the 1st and 3rd bases.

With his free hand (a trap is worn on the other hand), he quickly shows the pitcher which serve to make - strong, sliding or completely unexpected. The catcher's finger, facing inward, outward, up, down, makes it clear how to throw the ball in relation to the base.

The first base defendertakes the batted ball between 1 and 2 bases, defends the first base, insures the house and the 2nd base.

The second base defendertakes the batted ball between 2 and 1 bases, defends the second base, insures the 1st and 2nd base.

The third base defendertakes the batted ball between 3 and 2 bases, defends the third base, insures the house.

The short stopis located between the bases depending on the situation on the field, usually between the first and second base. He takes the batted ball between 2 and 3 bases, defends the 2nd base, insures the 2nd and 3rd bases.

Three outfielders play off the pitch. They take a goal conceded by the 2nd and 3rd base defenders.

The players of the defense team, having received the beaten ball, as soon as possible send it to the partners located near the bases, so that these players can touch (salt) the attacking player with the ball, thereby preventing him from occupying the next base and taking this attacker out of the game.

When the ball is batted by the batter, the defense may send it out-of-bounds in the following way:

catch the ball on the fly;
run with the ball to first base before the batter gets there;
hit the batter with a ball held in his hand.
Batter The highlight of the game is the duel between the pitcher and the batter.
It is not uncommon for a pitcher to pitch the ball with a trajectory shifted to the right or left, or to pitch in such a way that the ball crosses the home base much higher or lower than expected, while simultaneously varying the speed of the ball. For example, if a pitcher pitches the ball twice at high speed, then the batter has the right to expect the next pitch with a curved flight path. Instead, the pitcher changes tactics and sends the ball with less force, hoping that the batter will swing the bat earlier and miss the ball.

Three accurate, irresistible throws - and the batter from the attacking team is out of bounds, giving way to another player. If, on the contrary, the pitcher allows four wrong pitches in one series, then the batter gets the right to take first base without a fight, and this game situation is called a "walk" or "base on the balls."

A ball served in the strike zone and not hit by a bat is called a "strike", and a ball served outside the strike zone and not hit by a bat is declared "Bol" by the referee. If the batter swung but didn't hit the ball, whether the ball was in the strike zone or not, that's also considered a strike, just like a ball kicked to the side outside the baseball court. If the batter has already had two strikes, a ball hit off the court is not considered a "strike" unless a player of the defending team manages to catch the ball on the fly. Then the batter is eliminated from the game. If the ball is not caught or falls to the ground behind the sideline, another serve of the ball follows. If the ball flies outside the strike zone, the referee behind the catcher fixes the error and gives an exclamation "Bol". After four such errors, the batter automatically gets the right to take the first base. After each serve, the referee announces the number of pains and strikes (say, "two pains, one strike") so that players can vary tactics. After three "strikes", the batter is out (eliminated from the game). He is also eliminated from the game in the following cases: if he manages to strike, but the field players of the defense will be able to catch the ball from the summer; if the ball touches the ground after the strike, but is caught and arrives at the base earlier than the runner himself.

The winner is the team that manages to make more complete runs around thebases in nine innings (during each inning, opponents play once in offense and defense) and thus score more points. There are no draws in baseball. If by the end of the ninth inning the score is equal, then the tenth, eleventh inning, etc., is appointed until some team takes the lead. The time of the match is not limited. However, it may happen that by the end of the seventh inning, one of the teams will have an advantage of 10 points. In this case, the game stops and a victory is declared by "knockout" (a typical baseball score is 7:4, but 1:0 or, for example, 12:2 is also not uncommon).

INVENTORY

The ball consists of several parts: inside is a small rubber ball wrapped in felt threads impregnated with glue. On the outside, it's all covered in leather. The ball is quite hard, the weight of the ball is about 150g, the diameter is about 7cm.

Bits are of several types: wooden and bits made of various alloys. Bits vary in weight and diameter.

Traps – each player has his own trap with which he catches the ball during the game. Traps come in different shapes, depending on what position the player is playing in.

The catcher's most interesting outfit. It consists of: knee pads, bib, helmet mask and a special "thick" trap. Such ammunition protects him from accidental injuries. Traps are selected depending on which hand the player throws the ball with. For example, if a player throws a ball with his right hand, then the trap is on his left hand.

Baseball, as noted by many experts and connoisseurs of this game, requires not only speed and strength, but also intelligence and ingenuity. Although this game is a team game, the outcome of the competition depends on the actions of individual players. The course of the match can change dramatically due to a single serve, one intercepted ball or an unsuccessful swing of the bat. Eight players behind the pitcher and eight players from the batting team, waiting for their turn to pick up the bat, are just a backdrop at the moment when the pitcher sends the ball at a speed of 150 km / h. The batter has only three-tenths of a second to decide whether to hit or miss the ball. In other words, although baseball requires coordinated actions, nevertheless, this game consists of individual actions of two or three players.

Breaks between innings give rest after turbulent experiences, they are pleasant and bring calm. There is an established tradition known as the warm-up of the seventh inning, when fans get up from their seats and stretch, and the teams at this time change places.

Judging baseball games is no easier than playing, and maybe harder. After all, only in baseball the judge has the right to take a break after controversial moments in order to check the rules, think a little and then announce his decision.

Some baseball terms

"Single" - a blow, as a result of which the batter managed to run to the first base

"Double" – a blow that resulted in the batter being able to run to the second base

"Triple " - a blow that resulted in the batter being able to run to the third base

"Hit" – any accurate hit on the ball, allowing the batter to run to the base

"A foul is a shot after which the ball goes beyond the sideline. It is considered as a "strike" if the pitcher has less than 2 strikes.

"Strike-out " – batter is eliminated after 3 strikes

"Fly Out – The batter is eliminated after defenders catch the ball on the fly

Ground Out – The batter is eliminated after defenders deliver the ball to the first base before he can reach it.

"Wok" – the batter occupies the 1st base after 4 pains

"Ran" is a point defended by a team whose player has reached home.

"Runner " - an offensive player who is at the base (since he no longer has a bat, he ceases to be called a batter)

"Empire " – judge (baseball has 4 judges, one at each base and one at home)

"No-hitter" – Pitcher did not allow to make a single hit during the whole game

"Perfect game" – Pitcher throughout the game did not allow any player to take the 1st base (a rarity)

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