The pitching rubber, also known as the pitcher's plate, is a flat rectangular slab of whitened firm rubber (or sometimes wood) on top of the pitcher's mound that the pitcher must contact before throwing. The object of the game is to advance each team's batting players around the field in order to score more runs than your opponent. There are several ways to score points, such as by hitting home runs or running down balls in play. Scoring is kept track of on a chart called a "scoreboard". In baseball, there are two types of plates: the pitching rubber and the batter's plate. The rubber is used for pitchers to work on their mechanics while playing catch. They will use different pitches, such as fastballs, curveballs, and sliders, and work on controlling how they release the ball. This helps them develop better control over their pitches. At bats are when a player gets a chance to hit against the opposing pitcher. In between pitches, the catcher signals the batter where to stand in relation to the plate. After the third out, any runner can come home if there are men on base. If there are not, then the inning ends. A batter can be removed from an at bat for a number of reasons including he/she being replaced by a pinch-hitter or coach, or because he/she reaches base scoreable position.