Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...

is a bat-and-ball sport that has many recreational variants (sometimes referred to as diamond sports). The major sport most related to baseball is the Olympic discipline of

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

, with the two sports being administered internationally alongside

Baseball5 Baseball5 (B5) is an internationally played safe haven game with many of the same rules as baseball and softball, which is governed alongside those sports by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). The game revolves around two teams ...

(invented in 2017) by the

World Baseball Softball Confederation World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC; french: Confédération internationale de baseball et softball) is the Sports governing body, world governing body for the sports of baseball, softball, and Baseball5. It was established in 2013 by th ...

. Many variations of baseball change the game significantly. For example, many variations are played informally, with less equipment/space requirements and a softer ball, and certain variations do not feature a

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to e ...

, and/or have the batters hit the ball using their hands or feet, with failure to legally hit the ball on the first opportunity resulting in an automatic

out Out may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 * ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander * ''Out'' (2002 film), a Japanese film ba ...

. There may be a lack of baserunning, with

base hits In baseball statistics, a hit (denoted by H), also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches or passes first base after hitting the ball into fair territory with neither the benefit of an error nor a fielder's c ...

awarded according to the distance or number of bounces the batted ball takes before being fielded, and imaginary " ghost runners" advancing around the bases in lieu of actual runners. Other variations are even more loosely based on baseball, often involving the same scoring system applied to dramatically different contexts, such as playing darts. There are also some bat-and-ball sports which are distinct from baseball, such as

rounders Rounders is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams. Rounders is a striking and fielding team game that involves hitting a small, hard, leather-cased ball with a rounded end wooden, plastic, or metal bat. The players score by running arou ...

, that strongly resemble it.

Historic variations

Massachusetts Game

The Massachusetts Game (also known as "round ball" because it was played on a circular field) was a competitor to what would eventually become the basis for modern baseball, the "New York Game". Some major differences of this game from baseball are: * The batter stood halfway between home plate and first base, with the pitcher only about half the distance from the batter as in baseball. * There was no foul territory, so the batter could hit the ball in any direction. * Instead of tagging runners, the fielders threw the ball at the runners in a practice that was known as "soaking" or "plugging".

Olympic sports

Softball

Softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

originated as a variation of baseball, and today is a very popular sport in its own right, with most of the rules remaining the same as baseball. The field is significantly smaller, with the bases only apart, and the pitcher is required to throw the ball underarm throughout the seven regulation

inning In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other tea ...

s of play. Softball is administered at the international level along with baseball by the

, with the two sports being treated as disciplines of the same overall sport when played at the Olympics. Alongside the Olympic discipline of

fastpitch softball Fastpitch softball, also known as fastpitch or fastball, is a form of softball played by both women and men. While the teams are most often segregated by sex, coed fast-pitch leagues also exist. Fast pitch is considered the most competitive for ...

, which is the most popular variation of softball, there is also modified fastpitch softball and slow-pitch softball.

Baseball5

(B5) is an international variation of baseball where the only equipment used is a rubber ball, and the field is a -square. Batters "self-serve" the ball, hitting it with a bare hand to start each play, with foul balls and out-of-the-park home runs not permitted. Each team has only five players and there are five

s in the game. It is scheduled to be played at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, and is administered by the

Informal variations

These variations of baseball generally reduce the amount of equipment and space needed to play the game, and the ball is often softer to reduce the risk of injury. They may also be modified to work with fewer players; for example, some informal variations of baseball use the ghost runner rule, simulating having runners on base when a player must take their turn to bat. However, the basic structure of a pitcher throwing to a batter, with the batter hitting the ball with some type of bat, is retained.

Stickball

In stickball, the bat is a broom handle, and the ball is generally a rubber ball or tennis ball. It is generally played as a street game.

Vitilla

Vitilla is a variation of stickball played mostly in the Dominican Republic. Instead of a ball, a large plastic water bottle cap is thrown towards the batter, and there are only two bases to advance around before going to home plate. In addition, the strike zone is represented by a physical object behind the batter.

Little League Baseball

Little League Baseball Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationWiffle ball is played with a plastic bat and ball. The ball is designed to have more movement in the air, so that pitchers can more easily trick batters with different types of pitches.

Corkball

Corkball Corkball is a "Variations of baseball, mini-baseball" game featuring a ball, which is stitched and resembles a miniature baseball. The bat has a barrel that measures in diameter. Originally played on the streets and alleys of St. Louis, Misso ...

does not feature baserunning: the value of a hit is measured by the distance traveled by the

batted ball In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fo ...

. The advancement of ghost runners placed on base is how runs are scored.

Games with no pitcher

Tee ball player swinging at ball on tee 2010

The following variations of baseball do not have a

, meaning that the batter starts every play with possession of the ball. They may feature

strikes Strike may refer to: People *Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...

, or the batter may automatically be out for failing to legally hit the ball into fair territory.Baseball5 Rulebook 2021
"In Baseball5, unlike in baseball and softball, it is the first bounce of the ball that determines whether the hit ball is fair or not: • First bounce in foul territory = batter is OUT"

Tee-ball

Tee-ball is a popular introductory variant of baseball for children, with the ball placed on a "batting tee" each time a batter is prepared to hit. The batter hits the ball off the tee to commence play. Older players may be given the opportunity to face some pitches from their coach, making it easier for them to hit the ball while still helping them to progress toward facing an opposing pitcher. Each inning may be played until three outs, or until all players on the offensive team have had a turn to bat.

Games with no bat

The following games involve the use of either the hands or the legs in order to hit the ball.

Kickball

Kickball Kickball (also known as soccer baseball in most of Canada and football rounders in the United Kingdom) is a team sport and league game, similar to baseball. As in baseball, one team tries to score by having its players return a ball from hom ...

is a popular variation of baseball, which involves batters kicking the ball with their legs. The ball is thrown underhand by the pitcher, and must roll to the batter.

Matball

Matball Matball, known in some areas as Big Base is a sport, usually played indoors and sometimes outdoors. Matball is a safe haven game (sometimes termed a bat-and-ball game, despite the lack of a bat) similar to kickball, but with the key difference tha ...

, also known as Big Base, is a variation of kickball where multiple runners can be on a base, with the bases being large mats.

Variations of Baseball5

is a variation of baseball which does not have several elements of conventional baseball, such as pitchers and bats.

Punchball

Punchball/slapball is played with the hands: batters start each play off by hitting the ball into play using their bare hands. There is no pitcher.

Cuatro esquinas

Cuatro esquinas (four corners) is a Cuban street game which inspired the creation of Baseball5.

Pelotica de goma

Pelotica de goma is a Venezuelan street game which has been played for over 70 years.

Unorthodox variations

Over-the-line

Over-the-line Over-the-line is a bat-and-ball sport, a game related to baseball and softball. Like those games, it involves a batter, pitcher, and fielders. Because a game requires only three people per team, it is considerably easier to get a good informal gam ...

(OTL) is a variation requiring only three players per team, and is played without gloves in some gender/age divisions. The batter stands at the point of a triangle, with his goal being to hit the ball (pitched by a teammate) over the opposing line of the triangle without the ball being caught by a defender. The fair territory is designated by two parallel lines emanating at right angles from the two corners of the triangle away from the batter. There is no baserunning, with runs scored when there are either 3+ " base hits" (uncaught fair balls) in an inning, or a "

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run is ...

" (a ball landing past the furthest fielder).

Stoop ball

Stoop ball is a variation where the ball is thrown by the batter at the steps of a stoop (concrete stairway) with the goal of making the rebounded ball travel away from the fielders. Bases or points are awarded based generally on the distance or number of bounces the ball takes before it is fielded.

Beep baseball

Beep baseball is generally played by visually impaired or blind players, using a ball that beeps so that it can be located more easily. There are "spotters" who assist the fielders by indicating which section of the field the

has been hit into. The game is played to six innings.

Dartball

Dartball is played using a dartboard, with the results of each throw of the dart relating to the rules of baseball. "Batters" simulate an at-bat, with the dart's landing position on the board determining whether they get a ball or strike, and whether they ultimately reach base/advance runners already on base.

Related bat-and-ball sports

Pesäpallo

Pesäpallo, also known as Finnish baseball, was invented in the 1920s, with some of it being based on baseball. It has four bases placed at increasing distances between each other (such that the distance between 3rd base and home is greater than between home and 1st base.) The ball is pitched "vertically" to the batter (such that it is thrown upwards by the opposing pitcher at home base), and is hit as it lands. The game features a number of significant differences to baseball: it is not possible to hit out-of-the-park home runs, as these are considered foul balls, and batters do not have to run on fair contact, being allowed three chances to hit the ball (regardless of the result of each hit) before being forced.

Rounders

Rounders Rounders is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams. Rounders is a striking and fielding team game that involves hitting a small, hard, leather-cased ball with a rounded end wooden, plastic, or metal bat. The players score by running arou ...

involves a similar hitting of a thrown ball as baseball, with a "rounder" being scored upon rounding all four bases. There is no foul territory, so that the ball can be hit in any direction. It is popular in the United Kingdom among school children, having been played since the 1700s.

References

External links

Australia Baseball5 Training Manual
- features a number of training games and variations of Baseball5
Official MLB List of Derivative Games of Baseball
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