Vintage Base
Ball Rules
and Terms








The
Great Black Swamp Frogs Base Ball Club plays Civil War Era base ball
matches
using rules codified in 1860. The Frogs take some liberties
with
the rules of 1860, which did not permit substitutions; all
participating Frogs
are on the batting list and substitutions are made on defense.
The game
the Frogs play is fundamentally the same as baseball today and
instantly
recognizable as such. There are, however, differences in rules,
strategies, and equipment that are portrayed and duplicated as
accurately as
possible.
Base ball is a gentleman's game:
- Matches are conducted according to the
highest standards of sportsmanship, gentlemanly behavior, courtesy and
respect for others.
- There is no swearing, spitting,
scratching, consumption of alcohol, chewing of tobacco, or wagering.
- Gentlemen shall forbear from
commenting on the umpire's judgment, receiving it in entire silence.
The umpire:
- calls foul balls immediately, but does
not call
fair balls.
- may ask players and spectators for
assistance in
making decisions.
- may call strikes after warning a
batter
who repeatedly
lets good pitches pass, does not call balls.
- levies fines on the spot for
ungentlemanly
conduct.
In pitching:
- the ball must be pitched
(underhanded),
not
jerked or thrown to the bat.
A striker is out when:
- a batted ball is caught on
one bound off the
ground or on the fly, fair or foul.
- after three called or swinging
strikes.
Foul balls are not strikes.
A baserunner is out:
- when forced at a base, the force
remaining on no
matter where the first out is made.
- if he overruns first,
second or third base and
is touched by the ball in the hands of an adversary.
- if, after any foul ball
the ball is returned to
the base, after settling in the hands of the pitcher, before the
baserunner
returns.
Other differences between the
vintage
and modern game:
- Players
do not wear gloves or other protective equipment.
- A batted ball is determined fair or
foul
by
where it first hits the ground.
- A baserunner may advance at risk if a
batted
ball is caught fair on one bound.
- The leadoff batter is the player who
follows the
player making the last out in the previous inning.
- The striker must stand on a line drawn
through
the center of the home base.
- Because of the uncertainty
of when sliding
began, we do not practice it.
Terminology:
In addition to some of the rules, base ball terminology has
changed
since the early years of the game. The following guide to Mid-Nineteenth
Century Base Ball Terminology may be helpful to spectators (fans)
watching
their first vintage base ball match:
Vintage
Term
Modern Term
Club
...................................Team
Home/Base .........................Home Plate
Pitcher's Point......................Pitching Rubber
Playground...........................Field
Spectator.............................Fan
Hand Lost............................Player Out
Adversary............................Opponent
Striker/Batsman....................Batter
Pitcher..................................Pitcher
Scorer or Game Keeper.......Score Keeper
Ace......................................Run
Leg It...................................Run to Base
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