Baseball Rules - Governing Bodies

Below you will find links to many of the worlds largest Baseball Rules Organizations and Governing Bodies. Click on the links below for more information about the organizations listed.

Major League Baseball - Rules

Little League Baseball - Rules

American Amateur Baseball Congress (AABC)

Babe Ruth Baseball - Rules

Continental Amateur Baseball Association (CABA)

Dixie Boys and Majors Baseball

National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, Inc.

Baseball Canada

European Baseball Confederation

International Baseball Federation

Baseball Ireland

National Amateur Baseball Federation (NABF)

Basic Rules of Baseball

Baseball, considered as one of the national pastimes in the US, derives its name from the four bases that form a diamond (the infield) around the pitcher's mound. It is a ball game played with
a bat and ball, by two teams each composed of nine players. Baseball rules describe home plate, where each batter stands when it is their turn at bat; there is also the first base, second base, and third base. Each of the teams takes turns in the field and at the bat, with the home team battling last. An inning is constituted by one turn at bat for each team, while nine innings constitute a game.

The rules of baseball call for the player’s positions to include the pitcher, the catcher, the first baseman, the second baseman, the third baseman, the shortstop, the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. When one team is on the field, the other team takes turns among its members, at batting the ball.

The object of the game is to score runs or keep the other team from scoring runs. Runs are scored by the batter hitting the ball any place inside the foul lines and then running to first, second, and third bases, consecutively, and then returning to home base. Click any of the links above for the major governing bodies and their baseball rules

BASEBALL GOVERNING BODIES - National Amateur Baseball Federation (NABF)

National Amateur Baseball Federation (NABF)
Homepage: www.nabf.com
Rules and regulations: http://www.nabf.com/membership/rules.htm

History:

NABF was founded in 1914 in Louisville, Kentucky, making it the oldest continually operated national baseball organization in the USA. It is a non-profit organization aimed at organizing teams to make them able to represent leagues in national competitions. Thus, NABF has organized leagues throughout the U.S. and Canada with divisions starting at age 10 and under and going through college. To date, NABF hosts over 50 annual regional tournaments, 8 national championship tournaments, and a World Series.

Lately, NABF has offered new competitive opportunities to athletes in the US by hosting national invitational baseball tournaments for individual teams in age divisions 10 and under through the Unlimited age division.

BASEBALL GOVERNING BODIES - Baseball Ireland Rules

Baseball Ireland
Homepage: http://www.baseballireland.com/index.htm

History:

Baseball Ireland is the official governing body of baseball in Ireland. It is responsible for the development and promotion of baseball in the country. Baseball Ireland maintains jurisdiction over the Irish Baseball & Softball Federation, which was founded in 1989. The Federation was established to further the growth and development of baseball and softball at all levels throughout Ireland. The federation was also responsible for the development of umpiring (refereeing) for the sports and runs clinics for fully qualified international umpires as well as novices.

BASEBALL GOVERNING BODIES - International Baseball Federation Rules

International Baseball Federation Homepage: http://www.ibaf.org/ Rules and regulations URL: http://www.ibaf.org/the_game/fundamentals/ History: Founded in 1938, the International Baseball Federation now has 111 national federation members – a long way from its first international baseball event in the 1904 Olympic Games in USA. After a long period of unity and camaraderie within the sport, a falling out period occurred in 1972 due to differences in opinion and powerful influences. This led to the creation of the Federación Mundial de Béisbol Amateur (FEMBA) at the Congress in Bologna, Italy. It was only in 1976 when then leaders of the International Federation and FEMBA reconciled their differences and agreed to establish a single body under the name of International Baseball Association (AINBA). However, in 1984 during a Congress held in Cuba, the delegates agreed to change the name of AINBA to the International Baseball Association (IBA). Finally, in 1999, at the Congress held in Sydney, Australia, the Federation decided to return to its roots and changed its name to the International Baseball Federation.

BASEBALL GOVERNING BODIES - European Baseball Confederation

European Baseball Confederation
Homepage: http://www.baseballeurope.com/
Rules and regulations URL: www.baseballeurope.com/rules/estatute.pdf

History:

In April 27-29, 1953, a group of baseball delegates met in Paris and founded the “Fédération Européenne de Baseball (FEB), otherwise known as the European Baseball Federation”. The group consisted of Mr. Roger Panaye, President of Belgian Federation; Mr. Th. A. Blanchard, President of France Federation; Mr. Norbert Schoffers of the German Federation; Prince Steno Borghese, President of Italian Federation; and Mr. Luis Barrio, President of Spanish Federation. The first five members of the Federation included Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

In February 2004, the Confederation’s Congress met in Madrid to approve its latest Statute, in the presence of 33 out of 39 member-countries.

BASEBALL GOVERNING BODIES - Baseball Canada Rules

Baseball Canada
Homepage: http://www.baseball.ca/

History:

The official governing body for baseball in Canada, Baseball Canada is on its 32nd year of providing client programs that foster participation and involvement in baseball. Among other duties, Baseball Canada maintains national performance records, promotes and distributes sport specific research, organizes national championships and publishes the rules for Canadian baseball. It also regularly evaluates and improves the technical content and administrative service to all Baseball Canada members and participants.

To date, Baseball Canada consists of 11 provincial and territorial associations representing over 500,000 players, 62,000 coaches, 11,000 umpires and 13,000 teams nation-wide. Canada’s official governing body for baseball is also a proud member of both the Canadian Olympic Association and the International Baseball Association. It holds a charitable status, according to Revenue Canada – deriving funding from Sports Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage.

BASEBALL GOVERNING BODIES - National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, inc. Rules

National Association of Professional Baseball
Leagues, Inc.
Homepage: http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com

History:

The Minor League (also known as the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues) was established on September 5, 1901 from a meeting of Minor League executives at the Leland Hotel in Chicago. The association started out with 14 leagues and 96 clubs during its first season in 1902, under the leadership of then President Patrick T. Powers. After several years of effective leadership, Powers left office in 1909, after catalyzing the association’s expansion to 35 leagues and 246 clubs.

During its centennial season celebration in 2001, Minor League hit a milestone: its 100th season collectively attracted more than 28 million fans, the second highest in its history. This number was only surpassed in 2003 after having reached the 39 million mark in fans attendance.