Baseball rules rules, for watching
Start with how a match works. Then the rules you see every few minutes, then the ones that change results.
Settling an argument? Search all 24 rules
- How long is a baseball game and how is it won?
- What are balls and strikes in baseball?
- What is the difference between a fair ball and a foul ball?
- How does a batter get out in baseball?
- How is a run scored in baseball?
- What is a designated hitter in baseball?
- Can a player come back into a baseball game after being taken off?
- What is the difference between a force out and a tag out?
- Why do runners go back to their base when a fly ball is caught?
- What is the infield fly rule?
- When are baseball runners given bases without having to run for them?
- Can a baseball runner run anywhere to avoid a tag?
- What is interference in baseball?
- What is obstruction in baseball?
- Can a baseball runner crash into a fielder?
- What is an appeal play in baseball?
- What are the windup and the set position in baseball?
- What is a balk in baseball?
- How does the pitch clock work in international baseball?
- What is a pitcher not allowed to do to the ball, or to the batter?
- How many times can a baseball manager visit the pitcher?
- What happens if a baseball game is tied, or one team is far ahead?
- How does video review work in international baseball?
- How big is a baseball field, and what are the bat and ball rules?
Where these rules come from
| Tag | Document |
|---|---|
| WBSC Baseball Rule or WBSC Baseball Appendix plus number | World Baseball Softball Confederation, Official Rules of Baseball, 2025-2026 edition. Read: Rules 2 and 3 (field and equipment), 6 (definitions), 7 to 13 and Appendices 1 to 3 |
| R | "Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from the rule, not stated in it |
| C | Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule |
All checked on 14 October 2026.
These are the WBSC rules, used at the Premier12, the World Cups and the Olympic Games. Professional leagues have their own rule books, which are not saved: a reader who watches Major League Baseball or Nippon Professional Baseball will see differences (the pitch clock with runners on base, the limit on pickoff throws, larger bases, the extra-inning runner). No page describes a league's rules.
Not covered: the scoring rules for statistics (hits, errors, earned runs, wins and saves), the pitch count limits of the World Cups (Appendix 1, A1.8, not read), protests in detail, the umpire's signals and the Olympic format for 2028 (not saved).
Not covered: the scoring rules for statistics (hits, errors, earned runs, wins and saves), the pitch count limits of the World Cups (Appendix 1, A1.8, not read), protests in detail, the umpire's signals and the Olympic format for 2028 (not saved).