Baseball is one of the most common sports for kids in their backyards, school, picnics, and organized leagues. Although in official leagues there can be several rules for games played, the game’s basic rules are very simple and learn more rules from the baseball movies for kids at Mattingly Baseball. Understanding baseball’s most popular rules will help you have a nice, fair game and ensure everyone has a good time. 

Striking Out: The most fundamental rule in baseball is that before being called out on the mound, a hitter gets three strikes. A strike is known as throwing at the ball and missing, hitting the ball out of reach or tossing the ball into the glove of the catcher. 

A foul ball is called throwing the ball out of play. The third strike can’t be a foul ball, because if he hits a foul ball a batter can’t be called out on strikes. There’s no limit to foul balls in certain leagues and the batter will sit on the line, catching foul balls without calling out. 

All Outs: When the batter hits the pitch, and the other team’s player catches the ball in the air, then the batter is out. When the batter hits the ball on the ground, she is out because the other team member gets the ball and touches the batter or first base before the batter even reaches first. 

A force-out is when a base runner has to run to the base in front of her when one of her teammates runs behind her to or on the base. If the base-runner is out if a player on the other side hits the base-runner with the ball as she’s running to the base, or they hit the base before she gets there. 

Inning Length: In most adult games, a baseball game consists of nine innings. Typically, six to eight-year-old coach-pitch leagues play six innings, nine and up to play seven innings. When all teams have an opportunity to bat, an inning is over, and each team allows three outs. 

Interference: The defensive team’s players must allow a base runner to go to a base without interfering with it. And if they’re playing a rolling ball, they can’t hit the base runner or stand in their way to play, unless they’ve got the ball; then they can try marking it. 

Unless the base-runner can easily escape the defensive player, a base-runner can not deliberately interfere with a player attempting to make a catch or field a ground-ball. When the base runner goes out of her way to get in the defensive player’s path, she’s been interfering. Interference by a defensive player leads to a secure base-runner. Base-runner interference results in the base-runner. 

How to Explain Baseball to Kids: Credit has gone to Abner Doubleday of Cooperstown, New York for inventing the baseball game in 1839. Baseball has since become kids pick up a baseball bat or glove for the first time each year as they prepare to play T-ball or Little League. It is good to clarify the general rules before seeing baseball movies for kids to run to the field and they have an understanding of how the game is being played. 

Explain Teams and Innings definitions: Two teams play in baseball before a winner is decided. Each team is given a turn at-bat. First, the ‘ visiting ‘ team bats, and second, the ‘ home ‘ team bats. An “inning” was completed after each team had batted once. Explain the major leagues are playing nine innings but kids are playing six innings. At the end of the game, the winner is the team with the most runs. 

Explain pitches, outs, and strikes: Inform the kids that the cricket team is on the attack and learn the basic techniques from the baseball movies for kids. The batter has two options when a ball is thrown either swing or not swing (take the strike). If he is swinging and missing, it is hit. 

When he effectively hits, he walks to base first. When he is taking the pitch, it is up to the umpire to decide if it is a strike or ball depending on the strike zone. If he gets four balls before making an out, he gets to “walk” to base first. When he racks up three hits, he is out. Inform the players that there are three outs each inning for each team. 

Tell the kids about the land which is fair and foul: Think about how it needs to fly between the lines in front of the home plate, as the batter hits the baseball. The batter will sprint to first base if it does. It is a foul ball if it goes behind those lines. Explain the hit qualifies as a foul ball. However, if a player has two strikes and fouls the ball again, she is allowed to start hitting until she hits the ball on fairfield, scores or gets a walk. 

Explain the difference between balls caught in air and ground: Tell the players that the defense must field the ball and throw it to a base where a runner is going if the ball is reaching the turf. When the baseball in the form of a line drive or fly-out is hit in the air then the defense must catch it in the air to record the out. 

Running cover foundation: To score a run, players have to run around the bases (first, second, third and home). Explain that if a player hits the ball in fair territory when at-bat, he has to sprint to first. Players on every other base will only run if a player is on the base behind them and the ball is hit in the equal territory on the court. If the ball is hit in the air, however, a base player will only switch if he doesn’t think the baseball will be caught. He is also not “forced” to run because there is no one on the base before him. 

If the baseball gets hit on the deck, only if he feels he can do it should he sprint to the next base? If it hits the ball in the air, he will wait to see if it’s caught. The exception is when two outs are on and the ball is struck — then everyone runs to the next base. 

Tips: Use the kids to illustrate offense and defense as you demonstrate. Let them take up field positions and go through the circumstances to illustrate what you’re talking about and use these basic baseball techniques for kids and let them play efficiently.