Baseball and Softball Flashcards
A baseball/softball game is played by 2 teams who alternate between ______ and _______.
offense, defense
The goal is to score more runs than the opponent, which is achieved by one circuit of __ bases that are placed on the diamond.
4
The defense wears _______, a leather contraption that fits on the hand, to catch the ball.
baseball/softball glove
A baseball is a ______ ball roughly ___ inches in diameter with red stitching.
white, 3
A softball is roughly _____ as big as a baseball and sometimes ______. It is no softer.
twice, yellow
The offense uses a bat, which is made of _____ in the professional ranks, and likely made of ______ or metal composite at amateur levels.
wood, aluminum
Almost all softball bats are _______ or ______.
aluminum or metal
The part of the field closest to the bas is called the _______, and the part beyond the bases is called the ______.
infield, outfield
The bases are ____ feet apart on the diamond, closer in children’s leagues and softball.
90
Other fields are variables, and the outfield fences or the amount of “_____ _______” - the amount of ground that borders the field between the long white lines that connect first base to home plat and third base to home plate - varies from field to field.
foul territory
Pitcher (in the middle of the mound who initiates the action by throwing the ball toward home plate); the catcher (catches the ball if it’s not hit); infielders - 1st, 2nd, shortstop (between 2nd and 3rd), and 3rd; and 3 outfielders - left, center, and right
Defensive positions
There are _____ innings in professional baseball games (sometimes fewer in lower levels) and each inning is divided in half to the top of the inning (when the visiting team hits and the home team plays defense) and the bottom of the inning (when the home team hits and the visiting team plays defense).
nine
Each team gets ______ outs in each half of the innings.
3
Each team has __ players in the batting order, and they must stick to that order throughout the game (players may substitute in for other players).
9
A play begins with a _____ waiting to hit a pitch from the ________. If the batter hits the ball into the playing field of play, the batter runs to first base and can run to as many bases and he/she sees fit without getting “out.”
batter, pitcher
A batter gets ___ strikes (a swing and a miss or a ball over the plate in what’s deemed the “strike zone by an umpire) and he/she is out.
3
If there are four balls (a pitch that is not in the “_____ ____”), the batter is automatically allowed to go to first base.
strike zone
When a batter begins running, he/she is referred to as a “______.”
runner
Runners attempt to reach a base, where they are “____” and can remain on the base until the next hitter comes up.
safe
The ______ must prevent this by putting the runners out using the ball; runners put out must leave the field.
defensive
A batter gets a “______” when he/she reaches a base without getting out, or forcing another runner to get out (and without the defense making an error).
hit
______ are scored when a player completes a circuit of the diamond before there are three outs in the inning.
runs
If a players hits the ball over the outfield fence in fair territory (between the fold lines), it’s a ______ _____, and the batter can circle all four bases.
home run
There are many ways that the team on defense can get an offensive player out. Four common ways are:
Strike outs (hitter misses 3 pitches) Force Outs (when, after the ball is hit, the defensive player with the ball reaches a base before the runner) Fly Outs (when a player hits the ball in the air and it's caught by a defensive player before the ball hits the ground) Tag outs (when a runner is touched with the ball, or a glove with the ball in it)
