BASEBALL A beginner’s guide

Have a child
starting baseball?
Congratulations! Your kid is thinking about
playing baseball. While trying a new sport can be
a bit scary for all involved, we know once you get
started, you and your child are going to love it.

Known as “America’s Pastime,” baseball can be

traced back to the 19th century when amateurs
played the game using homemade equipment.
Since then, it’s grown into a worldwide sport with
over 100 countries participating in the game.
While Major League Baseball (MLB), is the most
popular professional league in the United States,
the game is also played at the travel, recreational,
high-school, and college-levels.

Baseball is a different experience for many - new

gear, new rules, new teammates - so it’s helpful to
understand some of the fundamentals before fully
investing in all-new equipment. This guide has all
the information you and your child need to start
playing this classic, all-American sport.

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WORDS OF ADVICE

Parents and coaches shared information they wish they had before their kids
started baseball.

Understand pitching rules. Transitioning to bigger fields has an impact.

USA Baseball provides guidelines surrounding how When your child moves up through the age groups,
often players can pitch within certain periods of the fields get bigger – the base paths and pitching
time to avoid overuse injuries. It’s important to distances both increase. It can take some time to get
understand these regulations to maintain the health used to these changes, but that doesn’t mean your
of your player. child’s skills are lacking.

Buy the right bat. Be a fan, not a coach.

When it comes to regulations, it’s important to As a parent, it’s important to cheer on and support
understand bat rules. Some leagues maintain your child without coaching them – this can lead to
strict restrictions for the weight and diameter of confusion if your suggestions and opinions are different
bats, which can affect the equipment-purchasing than those of their coach.
process.
It’s all about the experience.
Don’t buy the first equipment you find. The only things that matter are building kids’
Sometimes it takes practicing with a few different confidence and teaching them to enjoy the game.
brands of bats, gloves, or helmets to find the right It’s not about winning or losing, but about how much
fit. Don’t commit to expensive equipment right fun your child has along the way, the friends they
away without testing it out first. make, and the memories they gain from being a part
of a team.
It takes more practice than you might expect.
Baseball is a complex sport that takes kids a while
to learn – remind your child not to get upset when
they aren’t the best player on the field right off the
bat. Learning and developing skills takes time, and
no fundamental is trivial.

For more information, visit:

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While baseball initially started in the U.S., it has spread worldwide. Today more than 100 countries
are part of the International Baseball Federation. Japan has the largest pro baseball league outside
the United States.

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F U N D A M E N TA L S O F T H E G A M E

Before your child steps onto the diamond, it’s helpful to understand the
basics of the game and what to expect.

Age Group Team

The size of the field, length of the game, and sometimes even the number of Most teams consist of
players on the field are all determined by age group. Age groups are written between 12–15 players,
as the age followed by the letter “u” to indicate that all players in that group and the age groups
are that age or younger. Most leagues will provide materials like charts to can range from 7u to
help determine which age group a player falls into based on their birth date. 18u depending on the
league.

B ASES PI TCHI N G
7U – 8U
Field Size Can vary by
league or team
60 F E E T 40 F E E T
or coaches will pitch
The two factors that determine the field
size are the distance between the bases 9U 60 F E E T 46 F E E T
and the distance from the pitching
mound to home plate. Younger teams
10U 70 F E E T 46 F E E T
play on smaller fields, and those field
sizes increase as players become older
11U – 12U 70 F E E T 50 F E E T
and more skilled. 13U – 14U+ 90 F E E T 60 F E E T 6 I N C H E S

Time
The number of innings played and the
7U – 8U 1.5 H O U R S 5-6 I N N I N G S
length of time it takes to complete them
is also based on the age of the players.
9U – 10U 2 HOURS 6 INNINGS
Sometimes time limits are placed on the
games, depending on the league. 11U – 14U+ 2 HOURS 7 INNINGS

Score
If a player touches 1st base, 2nd base, 3rd base, and home plate in that order, without being caught or tagged
by the ball by the other team, it’s called a run. The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins.

For more information, visit:

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Baseball bats in the minor and major leagues are made from wood. However, alumninum bats are
used at the college level.

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THE BASIC RULES

Innings & Outs Foul Balls

An “out” is when an offensive player There are lines drawn on the field that
must leave the field after: connect the bases. The lines leading
1. Being tagged by a ball in play from home plate to first base, and from
2. Not making it to the base or home home plate to third base are used to
plate before a member of the determine whether a ball is in play. If the
opposing team with the ball in their ball is hit between the base lines, it’s in
glove does play. If a ball is hit outside of the base
3. Swinging three times at a pitch and lines, it’s called a foul.
missing all three times If a batter hits a foul on the first or
Once the offensive team gets three outs, second pitch, it counts as a strike. If
it’s their turn to play defense. An inning a batter hits a foul on the third pitch,
ends after both teams have played both it counts as a foul, and the batter is
offense and defense, and each team gets allowed another pitch.
three outs. Balls
Strikes If a pitcher throws an unfair pitch, it’s
Each batter has three chances to hit a called a ball. If the pitcher throws four
ball that’s pitched to them. If they swing balls, then the batter is allowed to walk
and miss, or they don’t swing on a pitch to first base.
that’s ruled fair by the umpire, it’s called
a strike. After three strikes, the team
receives an “out.”

For more information, visit:

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The unofficial anthem of American baseball, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” is traditionally sung
during the middle of the 7th inning. It was written in 1908 by Jack Norworth and Albert von Tilzer,
both of whom had never been to a baseball game.
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GETTING INTO POSITION

At any given time, there will be a minimum of ten, and up to thirteen

players on the field – eight defensive players, one batter, and up to three
baserunners.
OFFENSE
The offensive team is the batting team. Batters take turns
receiving pitches from the defensive team and attempting
to hit them. Once a ball is hit, the batter then runs as far
as they can around the bases without getting caught by
the defensive team, with the goal of reaching home plate
to score a run.

Batter
The player who receives the pitch and hits it with
the goal of rounding the bases to home plate.

DEFENSE
The defensive team pitches to the batters and has players
on the field. Once a batter from the offensive team hits a
ball into the field, the defensive team’s goal is to stop the
batter from reaching home plate by tagging them with
the ball, or reaching the next base with the ball before the
batter gets there.

Pitcher
Throws the ball from the pitcher’s mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal to throw
as many strikes as possible.
Infielders
Field balls and throw them to one another. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd basemen defend the areas surrounding the
bases, and must be able to catch both ground and fly balls, and throw accurately. The shortstop is the
player between second and third base, and on average, receives the most hit-balls. Infielders typically
have quick feet and are able to easily transition from fielding to throwing to get the runner out.

Outfielders
Left, center, and right outfielders all track fly balls and throw them to the infielders with the goal of
tagging the player from the opposing team.

Catcher
The player who crouches behind home plate in front of the umpire and receives the ball from the pitcher.
Depending on their age, the catcher handles the majority of the plays on the field. Once they become
older and more skilled, they are able to understand the situation of the game and call games.

For more information, visit:

sportsengine.com/article/baseball/baseball-positions
5
BASEBALL TERMS EXPLAINED

Few sports have more lingo being tossed around the field than baseball.
Your child will have a tough time getting the hang of it if they don’t
understand the game’s jargon. Communication between players, coaches
and referees is crucial, so here are a few terms you and your child will
come across on the diamond.

Ace Diamond
Best starting pitcher The four bases of the infield

Around the Horn Dinger

After an out is recorded, teams throw the ball around Home run
the infield
Double Play
Balk A defensive play that results in two players being
When the pitcher tries to trick the base runners with tagged out
illegal motions Error
A defensive mistake that allows a batter to reach base
Bunt
or a base runner to advance
When a batter holds the baseball bat out and tries to
barely tap the ball in order to advance another base Fly Ball
runner A ball that is hit high into the air

Can of Corn Full Count

Easy fly ball When the pitch count has 3 balls and 2 strikes. The
next strike or ball will end the at bat. If the batter hits
Change Up
the baseball foul, then the count remains 3 and 2 and
A pitch that is meant to appear fast, but is actually
are allowed another attempt to hit the ball
much slower than it looks
Ground ball, or “Grounder”
Cleanup
A baseball that is hit on the ground
A player that hits the ball exceptionally well and is the
fourth batter in the batting order Hit and Run
A play where the base runner starts running when
Count
the pitch is released in order to get a head start. The
The number of balls and strikes on a batter. A 3-2
batter must hit the ball into play so the runner doesn’t
count means the batter has three balls and two strikes
get out

For more information, visit:

sportsengine.com/article/baseball/baseball-terms-explained

The lifespan of a major league baseball is 5–7 pitches. During a typical game, approximately
70 balls are used.

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B A S E B A L L T E R M S E X P L A I N E D ( C O N T. )

Hit for the Cycle Reliever/Relief Pitcher

When a player hits a single, a double, a triple, and a A replacement pitcher for when the starting pitcher
home run in one game reaches the pitch limit or their shoulder becomes too
worn-out to continue pitching for that game
Hot Corner
Third base position Rundown
When a baserunner is stranded between two bases
Lead Runner
and in jeopardy of being tagged out
The first base runner when more than one runner is
on base Runners at the Corners
Base runners on 1st and 3rd
Bases Loaded
When a base runner is at all three bases Scoring Position
A base runner on 2nd or 3rd base is in the position to
On-Deck
make it to home plate and score a run
The next batter up to bat
Strike Zone
Pickle
The area over home plate, above the batter’s knees,
When a base runner is in a rundown
and below the batter’s chest where pitches are called.
Pinch Hitter/Runner If a pitch does not enter this zone, it’s not a fair pitch
Substitute hitters/runners
Walk
Pitch Out When the pitcher throws four balls to a batter, the
A pitch that cannot be hit by the batter batter gets to walk to first base
Position Player 6-4-3
Any player on the field except the pitcher A double play referring to positions by their
Power Hitter numerical designation; the ball is fielded by the
A skilled batter that hits the baseball far, usually for shortstop (6), thrown to 2nd base (4), and then
home runs or extra bases thrown to 1st base (3)

Relay
When the ball travels from one fielder to another, then
another

For more information, visit:

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Cal Ripken, Jr. holds the record for playing in the most consecutive baseball games. He played in
2,632 games and was twice named the American League’s Most Valuable Player, in 1983 and 1991.
He didn’t miss a game in 16 years.
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D R E S S T O P L AY

Baseball has some specialized equipment unique to the sport. Before you
fully commit to buying new equipment, try borrowing a friend’s gear or
seeing if your club has equipment you can borrow or rent.

Here’s what is required for your child to get started.

Batting Helmet Sunglasses (optional)

A helmet that’s worn by the batter Most players wear sunglasses in addition
to protect their head and ear facing to their caps to keep the sun out of their
the pitcher from the ball. eyes.

Baseball Cap Catcher’s Helmet

A hat designed to shade sunlight A helmet with a face mask designed to
from players’ eyes. protect the player’s face from the ball.

Spikes Bat
Specific shoes made for baseball A round, solid wooden or hollow
players that are worn for better aluminum bat.
traction on the field.
Ball
Glove Layers of yarn or string rolled on a cork
A leather glove with a webbed pocket sphere with a leather coat stitched on
between the thumb and forefinger top.
that helps players catch the ball easily.

Currently, the baseball team with the most World Series wins is the New York Yankees
with 27 titles.

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W AY S T O P L AY
With a little research you should be able to find a baseball program that
fits your child’s interest level. There several types of programs, each with
varying structures and commitment levels.

Tee-Ball INTENSITY

Age: Good for:

4–6 Player development, parent involvement, socialization, and getting
acclimated to playing on a team.

Commitment: Structure:
1–2 practices per week, 1 game per week Open to beginners learning the basics and
Season Length: 2–3 months over the summer enjoying the game. Coaches are usually
Travel: Minimal local travel; practices and parents or volunteers. Teams compete against
games are usually held at the same park. other teams in the area, and usually there’s a
Financial: Low-cost registration fees and league tournament at the end of the season.
low-cost equipment.

Rec/Community INTENSITY

Age: Good for:

9+ Those seeking a fun, social, team-oriented environment and are also
looking to stay physically active throughout the season.

Commitment: Structure:
2 practices per week, 2 games per week Coaches are usually parents or volunteers,
Season Length: 2–4 months starting in the and teams compete against other teams in
spring and ending in late summer the area. The season typically ends with a
Travel: Some local travel required league tournament.
Financial: Cost is between tee-ball and travel
ball – most spending is attributed to purchasing
bigger equipment for growing players.
Training: No off-season training is required, but
it can help if players want to transition from rec
to travel.

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Travel INTENSITY

Age: Good for:

8–18 Competitive atmosphere, playing against new people and new teams,
and exploring and experiencing baseball in new settings.

Commitment: Structure:
2 practices per week, 2 games per week Coaches are
Season Length: 3–6 months or year-round depending on the team very skilled and
Travel: Teams usually travel for weekend tournaments during the school sometimes paid.
year, and for full weeks during the summer depending on the intensity of the Teams compete
organization. Long drives and air travel can be expected. with other
Financial: Costs are associated with registration, tournament entry fees, team travel teams
uniforms, travel arrangements, accommodations, and more. both locally and
Training: Off-season training is expected. Most travel players attend camps and from around the
clinics to improve their skills, making travel baseball a year-round commitment. country.

School INTENSITY

Age: Good for:

High Schoolers Preparing for college sports, the social aspect of playing on a team
in high school, exercise, extracurricular activity.

Commitment: Structure:
Practices and games can be expected throughout the week, depending on Teams compete
the team’s schedule. against other
Season Length: Winter training usually begins around January or February, high schools. Paid
and practices and games occur through May or June. coaches and student
Travel: Local travel is involved. players are generally
Financial: Costs are associated with personal equipment like gloves, shoes, skilled, depending
sunglasses, and any other desired items. on the division and
Training: Off-season training is expected, but usually conducted through the school district.
school. It also helps to train prior to trying out for the team for the first time.

The oldest baseball park still in use is Fenway Park, the home field of the Boston Red Sox, which
debuted in 1912.
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BASEBALL HIERARCHY

Known as America’s pastime, baseball has gained popularity across

the world. Learn about how your child fits into the sport’s hierarchy by
breaking it down from an international to local level.

WBSC

IBAF

COPABE

USA Baseball
• Babe Ruth League
• American Legion Baseball
• Dixie Youth Baseball
National Associations
• Little League
• PONY League
• Tee-Ball USA

Regions

States Associations

Youth Teams

Youth Players

For more information, visit:

sportsengine.com/article/baseball/hierarchy-baseball

Mo’ne Davis was the first girl to be a winning pitcher in a Little league World Series game. It
happened on August 15, 2014, and her team won 4-0.

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B A S E B A L L H I E R A R C H Y ( C O N T. )

The World Baseball Softball Confederation is the international governing body for
baseball and softball, and formed in 2012 when the International Baseball Federation
WBSC and the International Softball Federation approved to form one international federation.
The WBSC has 198 national federations and 13 associate members in 138 countries.

Prior to the formation of the WBSC, the International Baseball Federation was the
IBAF national governing body of the sport, but now it acts as the head of the baseball
division. It has 124 NGBs under it.

The Confederación Panamericana de Béisbol, or the Pan American Baseball

COPABE Confederation, is the NGB within the Americas. There are 29 countries apart of COPABE,
which are located throughout North America, South America, and the Caribbean.

USA Baseball has been the NGB for the United States since 1978. Today, nearly every
USA
major national amateur baseball organization in America is part of USA Baseball,
Baseball
meaning they govern over 15.6 million players.

USA Baseball lists 16 national associations, which range from Tee-Ball to adult
amateur leagues. Listed is a brief description of the different youth leagues.

Babe Ruth League - Leagues consist of Cal Ripken Baseball (4-12), Babe Ruth
Baseball (13-18), Babe Ruth Softball, Bambino Buddy Ball, and Xtreme Fastpitch.
Currently has over one million players on 60,000+ teams in over 11,000 leagues.
National
Associations American Legion Baseball - This league was founded in 1925 by the American
Legion. Today, teams can be found in all 50 states, plus Canada, with participants
ranging in age from 13-19.

Dixie Youth Baseball - Dixie boys baseball is for athletes ages 13-14, but the Dixie
Majors Baseball was created for players up to age 19. DIY runs through 11 states in
the southeast corner of the country.

For more information, visit:

sportsengine.com/article/baseball/hierarchy-baseball

The lifespan of a major league baseball is 5–7 pitches. During a typical game, approximately
70 balls are used.

12
B A S E B A L L H I E R A R C H Y ( C O N T. )

Little League - Little League Baseball and Softball is the world’s largest organized
youth sports program. They have millions of participants in the United States, and
more than 80 other countries every year. Ages for participants range from four to 16.

National PONY League - PONY League consists of seven different leagues, which all consist
Associations of boys and girls of different ages playing baseball and softball. There is also the
(cont.) Champions League, which is a league that was created for kids with special needs.

Tee-Ball USA - Was founded in 1996 to provide a major national organization for the
game of tee ball. They support numerous organizations and leagues that run tee ball
leagues, and help provide unified rules and standards around the game.

Regions are geographical areas where multiple states are grouped together. Check with
Regions
your league to see which region your team fits into.

States Geographic areas within a state that houses different leagues. Usually based on the
Associations population of different areas and the size of the state.

Youth There are a wide number of teams throughout the nation that compete at different
Teams levels. With a little search you will be able to find the right team for your child.

A decade ago, baseball seemed to be on a decline. Today, it’s become one of the
Youth nation’s fastest growing sports as 13.6% of kids ages 6-12 played baseball in 2018.
Players Making it the second most popular sport in the nation.

For more information, visit:

sportsengine.com/article/baseball/hierarchy-baseball

The last major league stadium to install lights was Wrigley Field, who only played daytime games
until 1988.

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ABOUT RIPKEN BASEBALL

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our Big League Experiences, including Tournaments, Camps, and Spring
Training. We teach the values of the game, and how to play it the right way
– The Ripken Way. Learn more at www.ripkenbaseball.com.

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