A quick guide to some of the quirky rules of the vintage game:
The Lingo:
Player: ballist
Pitcher: hurler
Catcher: behind
Batter: striker
Outfield: the garden
Foul ball: foul tick
Runs: aces
Fly ball: cloud hunter
Fans: cranks
Out (noun): Hand (three hands to an inning)
Out (adjective): Dead
The Rules:
The hurler throws underhand. There are no called strikes and no walks. The striker, however, receives a warning when he's taken too many pitches.
A ball caught in the air is a hand, but a ballist can field the ball on the first hop and still make a hand.
Foul balls aren't dead balls. The runner must hustle back to the base that he previously occupied, otherwise a ballist can throw the ball to the pitcher, the pitcher can throw the ball to the ballist at the base and the runner will be ruled dead.
A ball struck in fair territory that rolls into foul territory is still a fair ball. Many players intentionally attempt to chop a ball down the line into foul territory, forcing fielders to chase balls down.
Should a striker overrun first base, the ball is still live and he can be tagged dead.
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