Baseball and softball words · Intermediate

The words that make the commentary make sense. They build on the beginner words.

I · Intermediate · 43 words · Step 2 of 2

Game rules

Run difference rule

A rule that ends a game early when one team leads by enough runs. In WBSC softball it is 15 runs after three innings, 10 after four or 7 after five. In WBSC baseball tournaments it is 10 runs after five innings for most categories, and it does not apply to the final.

Also called: run ahead rule, mercy rule

Tie game

A game in which the score is level when it is stopped. In baseball a tie game declared after five or more equal innings stands as a tie; in softball a regulation tied game is replayed from the start.

Forfeit

A game awarded to the team not at fault, for example when a team fails to appear or refuses to play. In softball a forfeited game is scored 7-0.

Appeal play

A claim by the defence that an offensive violation has happened, which the umpire rules on only if it is asked for. In softball the types are missing a base, leaving early on a caught fly, batting out of order, illegal substitutions and a few others, and the chance is lost after the next pitch or when the fielders leave fair territory.

Pitch clock

A 20-second clock in WBSC baseball, used only when no runners are on base. The pitcher gets a ball for a violation and the batter a strike; the batter must be in the box with five seconds left and keep one foot in the box between pitches. Separate clocks cover the manager's visit (30 seconds), a pitching change (120) and the break between innings (120). Softball gives the pitcher 20 seconds to release a pitch.

See also: Pitch, Strike, Pitcher, Batter

Batting and scoring terms

Batter-runner

The player who has just finished their turn at bat, until they are put out or reach base safely.

Dropped third strike

When the catcher fails to catch strike three before it touches the ground, the batter may run if first base is open with fewer than two outs, or with two outs.

Also called: third strike rule
See also: Strike, Catch, Catcher, Batter

Batter's box rule

Under the WBSC pitch clock rules the batter must keep one foot in the box between pitches, with listed exceptions such as a hit, a swing that carries them out, or the catcher making a play. Failure brings a strike.

See also: Pitch clock, Pitch, Strike, Catcher, Batter

Batting terms

Batting average

A stat showing how often a batter gets a hit, calculated from hits divided by official at bats.

See also: Batter

On base percentage

A stat showing how often a batter reaches base by any means, including walks, not just hits.

See also: Batter

Slugging percentage

A stat measuring the power of a batter's hits, weighting extra base hits more heavily than singles.

See also: Batter

Sacrifice bunt

A soft tap intended to advance a runner even though the batter is likely to be out.

Bunt

A batted ball not swung at but intentionally met with the bat and tapped slowly within the infield. A foul bunt attempt that is not legally caught is a strike.

Line drive

A hard hit ball that travels through the air on a flat, fast path rather than arcing high.

Fielding and defense terms

Infield fly

A fair fly ball, not a line drive or a bunt attempt, that an infielder can catch with ordinary effort when first and second, or the bases are loaded, with fewer than two outs. The umpire declares it, and the ball stays live for the runners.

See also: Umpire, Bunt, Line drive, Fly ball, Catch

Interference

An act that hinders a player from making a play. Offensive interference is by the team at bat, defensive interference is by a fielder (usually the catcher) who hinders a batter, and there is also umpire and spectator interference.

Obstruction

A fielder who is not holding the ball and is not fielding it impedes a runner's progress.

Passed ball

A pitch that the catcher should have held or controlled with ordinary effort.

Fielding and strategy terms

Shift

Repositioning fielders away from their traditional spots based on where a specific batter usually hits the ball.

See also: Batter

Cutoff man

An infielder positioned to relay a long throw from the outfield toward home plate or another base.

Stolen base

When a runner advances to the next base during a pitch without the ball being hit.

Pickoff

An attempt by the pitcher to catch a runner off base by throwing directly to a fielder covering that base.

Sacrifice fly

A fly ball caught for an out that still allows a runner to score afterward by tagging up.

Pitching terms

ERA

A stat showing how many earned runs a pitcher allows on average per nine innings.

Also called: earned run average
See also: Pitcher

Slider

A breaking pitch that curves sideways and slightly down, faster than a curveball.

Knuckleball

A pitch thrown with very little spin, causing unpredictable movement as it travels.

Pitch count

The total number of pitches a pitcher has thrown in a game, tracked closely to manage fatigue and injury risk.

See also: Pitcher

Bullpen

The area in foul territory or outside the playing field where substitute pitchers warm up. The home and visiting teams each have their own. Baseball requires two regulation mounds and a home plate there.

Closer

A relief pitcher specialized in finishing games, usually brought in to protect a lead in the final inning.

Balk

An illegal act by the pitcher with a runner on base. Each runner advances one base. Examples are a feint without completing the throw, a throw to a base without stepping toward it, an illegal pitch such as a quick pitch, and unnecessarily delaying the game.

See also: Pitch, Quick pitch, Pitcher, Base runner

Set position

One of the two legal baseball pitching positions, usually used with runners on base. The pitcher stands with the pivot foot against the plate and the other foot in front of it, and is presumed to be in the set position when a runner is on base unless they tell the umpire otherwise.

See also: Umpire, Pivot foot, Pitcher, Base runner

Pivot foot

In baseball the foot in contact with the pitcher's rubber as the pitcher delivers, the right foot for a right-hander. In softball it is the foot the pitcher pushes off the plate with.

See also: Pitcher

Quick pitch

A pitch made with the obvious aim of catching the batter off balance or before the batter has taken position. In baseball it is a ball with no runners and a balk with runners.

Also called: quick return pitch
See also: Pitch, Balk, Batter

Pitching rules

Softball pitching rules

In fast pitch softball the pitcher must have the pivot foot on the plate, take a signal, and come to a full stop with both hands on the ball. The delivery is underhand, with one revolution of the windmill and the hand below the hip, and the pitcher has 20 seconds to release the next pitch.

Crow hop and leaping

A crow hop is a push off from a place other than the pitcher's plate, or from a second starting point after stepping off; it is illegal. Leaping is a push from the plate that leaves the whole body airborne, and it is legal if the pitcher lands and delivers in a continuous motion.

See also: Pitcher

Charged defensive conference

A visit that lets someone talk to a fielder, such as a coach going to the mound. A softball team has three in a seven-inning game and one per extra inning, and on a further one the pitcher may not pitch again.

Illegal pitcher

A player who is still in the game but may not pitch, after an umpire has removed them from the pitching position.

Positions

FLEX

In softball the player listed tenth on the line-up card, for whom the designated player bats. The FLEX may play any defensive position.

Softball-Specific notes

Tiebreaker

From the top of the eighth inning each team starts its turn at bat with the player due to bat ninth on second base. The runner does not have to touch first base to score.

See also: Inning, Turn at bat, Base runner

Leaving a base

A softball runner may leave a base to steal or advance once the pitcher's non-pivot foot touches the ground during the pitching movement. A run does not score if the third out is a runner who left too early.

See also: Pivot foot, Pitcher, Base runner

The ruleWhen can a softball runner leave the base?

Game terms

Extra innings

Innings played when the score is tied after a regulation game. In WBSC baseball tournaments each extra inning starts with runners on first and second and no outs; in WBSC softball the batter due to bat ninth starts each extra inning on second base. In baseball the runs scored by these placed runners are unearned.

See also: Inning, Regulation game, Batter

Perfect game

A rare game where a pitcher allows no batter to reach base at all through the entire game.

No-hitter

A game where a pitcher allows no hits, though walks or errors can still let runners reach base.

See also: Pitcher

All Baseball and softball words