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THE TEAMS
Each
team consists of five blind players, one sighted player and one sighted
defensive assistant.
The sighted defensive player and the defensive assistant also serve as base
coaches at second and third
base when the team comes to bat.
THE FIELD
The defensive field of play is the area of left field beyond the line
between second and third base.
First base is sound activated.
Second base 167 feet
from home plate.
The distance between second base and third base and the distance between
third base and
home plate in 90 feet.
Second base is the base of origin for the defense. All defensive
eliminations take place at second base.
Home plate, for the runner, is a line on 13 feet.
The home run line is marked at 190 feet from home plate.
THE PLAY
The batter puts the ball (*) in play by tossing it in the air and hitting
it.
In order for the batter the batted ball, to be ruled fair, it must go into
the left field beyond the line between
second and third base after having bounced at least one time.
The batter runs around first base and attempts to reach second base.
He is safe if he arrives before the throw from a blind defensive players is
caught by the sighted player
positioned at second base.
During the course of the run between first base and second base, the batter
is assisted by one of the base coaches.
The batter is allowed three swings.
If the batter does not put the ball in play on the final swing, it
is a strike out.
The runner on second base advances to third base and home plate on
successive batted balls.
Runners can leave the base only after the umpire has called a batted ball
"FAIR".
This occurs at the moment the batted ball surpasses the line between second
and third base.
The runner on second is assisted by the base coach as he advances toward
third base.
Upon arrival at either second or third base, the runner must touch the
base.
He does not have to maintain contact.
A run is scored when the runner crosses the home plate line.
After putting the ball in play and arriving safely at second base the
batter may, at his discretion,
continue to advance toward third base, only after the throw of the blind
fielder.
The same is for the runner of second arriving safely at third base with
the intention to continue advancing toward home plate.
If the ball batted in fair territory travels beyond 190 feet it is
considered a homerun.
The sighted defensive player may field a batted ball hit toward him, as
long as he maintains
contact with second base. Only the batter, in this case, is eliminated.
If there are other runners on base at the time, they must return to their
respective base before
the play can begin.
Elimination at second base, third base, and home plate occurs when the
sighted player positioned at
second base receives the batted ball from a defensive player, prior to the
runner reaching the base.
If a ball batted in fair territory goes over the line between second base
and third base on a fly, the batter is automatically declared "OUT"
and the play is ruled dead.
(*)A regular size baseball with five holes and two sleigh bells inside.
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