Rounders

For thoughtful child sponsors

Rounders is a sport which originated in the United Kingdom. The sport is very old and it has been documented as early as the 17th century. Baseball and softball may have evolved from rounders (see baseball origins); the earliest literary mention of rounders calls the game base-ball.

Rounders is played between two teams of nine players. Players try to score points (rounders) by completing a circuit of posts.

The chief differences between rounders and baseball/softball are:

the stick is much shorter than a baseball or softball bat, and it is swung one-handed.
there is no foul territory.
balls and strikes aren't called, so there are no walks or strike-outs.
posts are used instead of bases made of stuffed fabric
the circuit of posts has a different shape – the final post in the circuit is not in the same place as the spot where the batsman stands
the distance between posts is much shorter (12 m) than the distance between bases in either baseball or softball.

Table of contents

1 The field
2 Equipment
3 Players
4 Play
5 Irish rounders
6 Links

The field

''Diagram of a rounders pitch. ''

Equipment

The ball is hard and covered in light-coloured leather. Its circumference is about 7.5 inches (19 cm). The ball is struck with a bat, called a stick, which may be no more than 18 in (460 mm) long, 6.75 in (170 mm) around, and 13 ounces (370 g) in weight.

Players

The team bowling fields nine players. One must be a bowler but the others may play where they wish, although one (the backstop) plays behind the batting square to receive the ball from the bowler, three play near the bases, and three play beyond the posts.

Play

The bowler throws the ball underhand to the batsman. If it passes over the batting square between the batsman's knees and shoulders the batsman must try to hit it. Regardless of whether he hits the ball, he must run to first post. If the ball is hit into the backward are the batsman may not pass first post until the ball is returned to the forward area.

If the ball does not pass over the batting square between shoulders and knees the batsman may run but is not required to. Each batsman except the last in each inning is entitled to receive one good ball; the last batsman is entitled to receive three unless caught out.

A rounder is scored if:

fourth post is reached and touched before next ball is bowled following a hit
fourth post is reached on no ball

A half-rounder is scored if:

fouth post is reached without hitting the ball
second post is reached after hitting the ball
obstruction by a fielder
two consecutive no balls to the same batter

A batsman is out if:

he puts a foot outside the batting square before swinging at a good ball
a ball he hit is caught

A runner is out if:

he runs inside the posts
the post he is running to is stumped (touched with the ball by a fielder)
he is not in contact with a post (using his hand or stick) while the bowler is preparing to bowl
he is not in contact with a post and the next post is stumped
he overtakes another runner
he obstructs a fielder

Two innings constitute a game. Each batting team's inning (sic) continues until nine outs are made.

Two umpires officiate.

Irish rounders

Irish rounders is an Irish version of the game which is very similar to softball, the chief difference being that the distance between bases is 90 ft (27.4 m) (as in baseball) rather than 60 ft (18.3 m).