Innings

Baseball is played in innings. During an inning, each team takes a turn in the field and a turn at bat. The visiting team always bats in the first half, it is called top half. The home team bats in the second half, that is called the bottom half. The team with the most runs at the end of 9 innings wins the game. If the score is tied at the end of the 9 innings, the teams play extra innings untill one team has a lead at the end of an inning.

Outs

The aim of the game is to get three batters out, which can be achieved in number of ways:

• The umpire calls 3 strikes against the batter
• The batter hits a ball into the air (fly ball)
• A runner who is not standing on a base  is tagged by a fielder holding the ball
• A fielder with the ball touches the base to which a runner forced to go before he gets there.

3 Strickes

A batter has 3 attempts to hit a ball pitched into the strike zone above home plate. If the batter swings but misses the ball, the umpire calls a stricke, whether or not the pitch was in the zone. A strick is also called if the batter does not swing at a ball pitched into the strike zone or hits the ball into foul territory.