The eight teams that will compete in Sydney will play each other once. The
top four teams will then advance to semi-finals, in which the top team
plays the fourth best team and the second best team plays the third best.
The winning teams meet in the final, while the losing teams play off for
the bronze medal.
The game is played on a field of grass, artificial turf or dirt known as a
"diamond", the shape of the infield, the area enclosed by home plate and the
three bases, which are 90 feet apart.
The pitcher stands in the middle of the infield on a mound 10in high, and
the batter stands just over 60 feet away. The outfield can vary in size,
the only stipulation being that the distance from home plate to the nearest part of the outfield fence must be at least 321 feet.
Teams take turns at batting and fielding. The aim of the game is to score
the most runs in nine innings. The batting team is out when three of its
batters have been ruled out. If after nine innings the score is tied, the
teams play another inning at a time until one team takes the lead.
Batters hit the ball, or pitch, thrown or pitched by the opposing team's
pitcher, and run counterclockwise to three bases. A run is scored upon the
batter reaching each of the bases without being caught out. His run
finishes when he returns to the "home plate".
The batter must reach a base before the fielder touches it while holding
the ball. If the fielder holding the ball gets to the base first, the
batter is out. A home run is where the batter hits the ball sufficiently
far into the outfield to allow himself and all baserunners to reach home in
a single run. Much of the game, however, involves steady progress around
the bases. A batter can walk to first base if four pitches pass him outside
the strike zone or if he is hit on the body by a pitch.
If a batter hits a groundball he must run to first base, forcing all runners
to move on from the base they have reached. The pitcher aims to get the
batter out by making him bat along the ground to an infielder, who throws
the ball to first base fielder, who in turn touches the base before the
batter reaches it, or by making the batter hit a high ball which can be
caught, or by getting three strikes for a strikeout.
