Baseball utilizes many rules and regulations to govern play, both on and off the field. Rules regarding equipment, player eligibility and statistics help keep the off-field elements organized, but it is the rules that take place between the lines that dictate the outcome of each game.
Field of Play
The baseball field itself is subject to its own set of rules or measurements, so that all games are played under the same conditions. For a regulation baseball field, the distance of the pitcher's rubber to home plate must 60 feet 6 inches. The bases are 90 feet apart; the distance from the back tip of home plate to the center of second base is 127 feet 3 3/8 inches. The homerun fence in the outfield varies in distance from home plate, but it is typically between 300 and 330 feet down the first and third baselines and up to 400 feet in the centerfield.
Fair Ball
A fair ball refers to a ball that has been hit by the batter and lands inside the baselines, between home and third base and home and first base. To be considered fair, the ball must roll through the infield on the inside of the actual base, or over the top of any portion of the base as determined by the umpire. If it goes through the infield as a fair ball and then rolls into foul territory in the outfield, it is still a fair ball. Any ball that actually hits first or third base is considered a fair ball.
Force Play
The force play is a play made often during a game; it is in effect when the fielder only has to touch a base for a runner to be out and not tag the runner himself. Ground ball plays at first base are force plays, as are plays at second, third or home when the runner has to move forward to make room for the runner behind him to occupy the base. As an example, if a runner is on first and a ground ball is hit by the batter, that runner must run to second to make room for the batter at first, making the play at second a force play.
Errors
Errors are a scoring rule that happens on the field and are entered into the statistics of the game. Fielders who make too many errors usually are not used for too long. Errors are scored when a fielder fails to make a play that should have been routine in the eyes of the official scorer. These may apply to fielding a ground ball, making a throw to first or another base or catching fly balls in the outfield.
Strike Zone
A basic and frequently used rule is the use of the strike zone. The home-plate umpire calls a ball or strike with every pitch of the game. The strike zone is supposed to extend from midway between the batter's shoulders and the top of his pants on the higher level, and the hollow under his kneecap on the lower level. To be considered a strike, the ball must also cross some portion of the plate as it goes into the catcher's glove. Different umpires have slightly different strike zones, and it is against the rules to argue balls and strikes with an umpire. Doing so almost always results in ejection from the game.
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