Baseball

**Baseball** (Shingōan: 野球, *Yakyū*) is a team sport played between two teams of 9 players each. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding team, called the pitcher, throws a ball that a player on the batting team, called the batter, tries to hit with a bat. The objective of the offensive team (batting team) is to hit the ball into the field of play, away from the other team's players, allowing its players to run the bases, having them advance counter-clockwise around four bases to score what are called "runs". The objective of the defensive team (referred to as the fielding team) is to prevent batters from becoming runners, and to prevent runners' advance around the bases. A run is scored when a runner legally advances around the bases in order and touches home plate (the place where the player started as a batter).

Several professional baseball teams compete in the International Baseball Association (IBA), the premier international league of the sport.

Baseball is generally accepted as having derived from the sport of Hashiyumi, which involved shooting arrows at targets in the outfield and running to a base without being hit by fielding players.

## How to Play

### Innings

The game typically takes place over 9 innings, however, some games are played over 7 or less innings. Each inning has 2 halves. In the top half of the inning, the players of one team bat and attempt to score runs, while the other team plays in the field and attempts to stop the offensive team from scoring. In the bottom half, the teams swap places.

Typically, the visiting team bats at the top of every inning while the home team bats at the bottom of every inning.

### Batting

The batter attempts to hit balls thrown by the pitcher to an area away from defensive players.

**STRIKE:** If the batter attempts to hit the ball (swings) but does not hit the ball, it is a strike. A strike may also occur if the pitcher successfully throws the ball over home plate without the batter hitting it. If a batter accumulates 3 strikes, their team receives 1 out and the batter is switched with another player.

**BALL:** If the batter does not swing on a pitch and the ball does not go through the batting area over home plate, then it is a ball. If 4 balls occur while a player is at bat, then they may walk freely to first base.

**FOUL BALL:** A foul ball occurs when the batter hits the ball into foul territory. Areas beyond of the designated white lines that lead to the foul poles are considered foul territory. The batter will receive 1 strike for hitting a foul ball, unless they already have 2 strikes. A foul ball can still be caught by the fielding team if possible, in which case the batting team will receive an out.

**HOME RUN:** A home run occurs when a ball is hit by a batter past the boundaries of the field and cannot be retrieved by the fielding team. Foul balls which go into foul territory, as marked by the foul poles, are not home runs. If a home run is hit, all players on the batting team currently standing on a base, plus the batter who hit the home run, will advance to home plate and each score a run.

* If a ball hits foreign objects/terrain that are not part of the field (i.e. scoreboard, tree) and bounces back into the field, it is still considered a home run. The outfield wall, regardless of its height, is considered part of the field and balls that do not go over it are not home runs.

### Outs

Outs may occur due to any of the following:

* A hit ball is caught by a fielding player.
* A player from the batting team touches a base that a fielding player with the ball is currently touching.
* A ball thrown by the fielding team hits a player on the batting team.

### Running Bases

Runners may attempt to advance from base to base once any fair ball is hit.

If the fair ball is caught by fielding players, runners must return to the base they came from and touch it. After touching the base, runners may either attempt to advance to the next base at their own risk or stay at their current base.

Runners must attempt to run to the next base if their teammate behind them (including the batter) runs toward the base they currently occupy.

### Other Notes:

**STEALING BASES:** Players may "steal" a base by touching the next base before the fielders can tag them out. Players may attempt to steal bases during any live ball situation (i.e. when the pitcher is on the mound ready to pitch). If the fielding team tags out the player attempting to steal a base, then the batting team will receive an out.

**OVERRUNNING FIRST BASE:** A player may overrun first base (continue running past first base into the field) without being tagged out so long as they immediately return to first base. Players may be tagged out, however, if they attempt to run to second base.

**BALK:** A balk occurs when a pitcher makes an illegal motion on the mound that is deceitful to the runner(s). If a pitcher attempts to pick-off a runner after they have already assumed their pitching position/motion, then they will be assessed a balk. If the fielding team receives a balk, then all fielding players may advance one base.

**ILLEGAL PITCH:** An illegal pitch is similar to a balk but instead typically occurs when there are no fielding players on any bases. An illegal pitch results in the batter receiving 1 ball.

**GROUND RULES:** Specific fields/playing locations may have their own "ground rules" that determine how the game is played. Some smaller fields with close outfield walls have ground rules stating that non-foul balls that go outside the playing area (which would typically be home runs) are ground rule triples/doubles.

## In-Game MC Rules

Ball Type/Usage:

* Only "lowest-repulsion" balls may be used unless specified otherwise.
* The pitcher may only hold one ball at a time when pitching.
* Balls may be "renamed" to behave certain ways (i.e. slider, shuuto, fast, etc.) but must be done so prior to coming to the mound.

Determining strike/ball:

* The home plate "umpire" will determine strikes, balls, and illegal pitches.
	+ Chat notifications will be delivered when: (batters attempt a swing), (batters hit the ball), (the ball passes through the strike zone)
	+ If a ball passes through the strike zone but is not hit by the batter, it is a strike.
	+ If the batter swings but does not hit the ball, it is a strike.
	+ If the ball does not pass through the strike zone and the batter does not swing, it is a ball.
* Batters must stand on either of the two "boxes" to the left and right of home plate and may not block home plate when batting.

Running Players:

* Running players (including the batter) may not pick up the ball after it has been legally hit.

## 2v2 Version

In this version of the game, teams consist of 2 players each.

On the fielding team, there is a pitcher and one general fielder, who may stand anywhere in the field.

The batting team has two players who take turns batting until their team reaches 3 outs.

If both players from the batting team are on bases at the same time, then the player at the furthest base stays at their position while the player at the earlier base returns to batting.