The Basics of Baseball Rules

A baseball game is a fast-paced sport in which players can get on base by hitting the ball and running around a field of bases. The goal is to score more runs than the opposing team. A runner is considered out if the defending team catches him or she before they touch a base, or if he or she is tagged trying to advance past a forced or unearned base. There are many ways to score a run, including getting a single, a double, or a triple.

There are certain rules that all teams must follow when playing baseball. Some of these rules are related to safety, while others are meant to protect the integrity of the game. For example, any batted ball that is hit into foul territory (inside the lines drawn on the ground from home plate to first and second base) is dead; a player may not attempt to retrieve it.

The strike zone is an important concept to understand. The pitcher throws the ball toward home plate, where the catcher squats down to receive it. The umpire at home plate then judges whether the ball crossed through the strike zone or not – any pitch that crosses through it counts as a strike, while any hitter who misses it or fouls it off is charged with a foul.

The number of balls and strikes a batter gets during his or her turn at bat is called the count. The count begins with balls, then moves to strikes (for instance, 3-2 is a full count). Teams are allowed to carry 26 players on their rosters, although they can only use 25 during regular season games.