Beep Baseball Rules
The National Beep Baseball Association
Presents Beep Baseball In A Nutshell
Spectators who witness today's style of beep baseball are generally
delighted. They see blind athletes dive onto the ground to stop a beeping ball
and run full speed toward the sound of a buzzing base to score a run. They see
desire, determination, teamwork and in many cases skilled performances of
sightless players having fun in the midst of extreme competition.
They also witness an occasional injury. Beep baseball is not a game for those
who are concerned about a scraped elbow. Safety precautions are high priorities,
but due to the nature of the game, some injuries do occur. Players know this and
fully accept the injury risks for the sake of playing a sport they love.
Comprehending the game is relatively easy. A team is composed of a minimum of
six blind, or visually impaired, players and two to four sighted people (a
pitcher, a catcher and 2 defensive spotters). Finding visually impaired recruits
is not as hard as some may think because players do not have to be totally
blind. Many N.B.B.A. players are partially sighted. Because players have varying
degrees of impairment all players are required to wear blindfolds while batting
or fielding.
A contest lasts for six (6)
innings unless more are needed to break a tie. A team has three (3) outs per
inning, and umpires have the right to eject unruly players or spectators.
However, there are some differences from regular baseball.
There is no second base. First
and third bases, that are four foot padded cylinders with speakers, are placed
one hundred (100) feet down their respective lines and ten (10) feet off the
foul line. This is to prevent a runner from colliding with a defensive fielder.
The bases contain sounding units that give off a buzzing sound when
activated. The batter does not know which one will be turned on. When the ball
is hit, the base operator activates one of the bases. The runner must identify
the correct buzzing base and run to it before a defensive player fields the
ball. If the runner is safe, a run is scored. In other words, there is no
running from one base to another.
A player does one of three things when batting -- hit the ball and make an
out by being retired by the defense; hit the ball and earn a safe call scoring
on a run; or striking out. A batter is allowed four (4) rather than the
traditional three (3) strikes and only one (1) pass ball. The fourth swing must
be a clean miss.
To better understand how the game is played, keep in mind that each team has
its own sighted pitcher and catcher. The catcher sets the target where the
batter normally swings. The pitcher attempts to place the ball on the hitter's
bat -- the ball is pitched from a distance of twenty (20) feet.
According to the rules, a pitcher is obligated to clearly verbalize two
words. He must say, "ready" just before the ball is about to be
released. This alerts all players that the ball may soon be hit. As the ball is
being released, the pitcher says, "pitch" or "ball." The
batter allows a split second of time to pass before swinging.
If contact is made, one of the
two bases is activated and then it becomes a race between the runner and the
defense. Also, a hit ball must travel at least forty (40) feet to be considered
fair. A hit ball that does not reach the forty (40) foot line is considered
foul. A ball that travels one hundred eighty (180) feet in the air is considered
a home run. A hit ball rebounded off the pitcher is ruled no pitch. It helps for
pitchers to be quick and agile.
Even though a pitcher never fields or bats, his role are a crucial one. Most
pitchers are generally good athletes with competitive spirits. Their success is
in direct proportion to the number of runs their team scores. High ERA's are
most preferable.
Playing defense is the most challenging aspect of beep ball. Rather than nine
(9) men on the field at a time, there are only six (6) players in beep baseball.
Not all teams use the same defensive placement of their players, but generally
teams will field 3 infielders. A First Baseman and a Third Baseman that will
play slightly more toward the center of the field than in standard baseball, the
third infielder will normally play between where 2nd base would
usually be and the pitchers mound. The
3 outfielders play a normal left and right field position while the center
fielder plays closer in toward where 2nd base would usually be.
For defensive purposes the field is divided into six imaginary zones between
third base and the center of the field and between first base and the center of
the field. Each team has two sighted spotters positioned in the outfield, one on
either side of the field. When a ball is hit, the spotter on the side of the
field toward which the ball is hit will instantly call out a number indicating
the general zone or direction the ball is traveling.
The players coordinate their defensive moves according to the number that is
called. However, spotters cannot pass on any further information, only one (1)
number may be called. The players can verbally communicate with each other and
frequently do. But, if a spotter says more than the allowed number, the batter
is awarded a run. All good teams have spotters with the ability to give out
quick and accurate number calls.
A defensive player does not have to throw the ball to another player to
record an out. Outs are earned by fielding the ball before the runner reaches
the base. In the umpire's opinion, the fielder must have the ball in hand and
off the ground to constitute possession. Players do not snatch balls out of the
air. Many attempts have been made to catch an air ball, but in the N.B.B.A.'s
history, there have been only four documented cases of a hit ball being caught
in the air.
Good defensive players learn to use their bodies and the ground to block and
trap hit balls, and then pick up the beeping sphere and display it for the
umpire's call. Because most fielding is done in this manner, flat grassy areas,
free of trees and bushes, make the best beep baseball fields.
Many teams keep individual statistics on their players. Good hitting teams
may have several players with batting averages of .500 or above. Players openly
admit they enjoy the thrill of heftily swinging at a pitched ball and making
solid contact and then charging down the base path to score a run. But, they
absolutely love the exhilarating feeling of diving off to one side or the other
to cleanly field a hit ball and make an out. Even the most modest players are
all too willing to graphically describe the putouts they made.
Beep baseball has evolved into a wide-open competitive game. Each year, new
and improved training and coaching methods are introduced. Throughout the
country, there are now many, many good players and teams. As time goes by, beep
baseball will get bigger and better than it already is.
Organizing new teams to play competitive beep baseball is not a simple
matter. More than one ingredient is necessary in molding a group of individuals
into a coordinated unit. Three absolutes are essential: dedicated sighted help,
players, and reliable equipment. Absence of any one of these requirements is
guaranteed frustration.
A team of outstanding beep ball players would flounder without benefit of
good sighted help. The key here is sighted people who are not afraid to tell a
blind person to get his duff in gear and get with the program. Successful teams
have sighted help who are willing to devote the time it requires to become
skilled at pitching, catching, "spotting" and to serve as chauffeurs
for practices and games.
If you, or someone you know would like to participate in Beep Baseball as a
player or volunteer, or start a Beep Baseball Team in your area contact the NBBA
at www.nbba.org for information and assistance.
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