Law 1: Objectives

The offence wants its batters to become runners and its runners to advance all the way to home plate.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 1.1 · recall

The defence tries to keep batters from reaching base and to stop runners moving round the bases.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 1.2 · recall

A runner who touches all the bases legally scores one run, however he got on base.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 1.3 · recall

Each team's aim is to score more runs than its opponent; hits, outs and runners left are not what decides it.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 1.4 · recall

A run is scored by touching first, second, third and home plate, in that order.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 6.70 · recall

With fewer than three out, a runner who touches all four bases in order scores a run at once.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 1.3 · applied

A runner is an offensive player who is advancing to, returning to, or touching a base.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 6.73 · recall

The batter-runner is the offensive player who has just finished his turn at bat, until the play he started is over.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 6.8 · recall

A batter finishes his time at bat, is a batter-runner until the play ends, becomes a runner on base and scores at home plate.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 6.8, 6.73, 6.70 · applied

A base is one of the four points a runner must touch to score: usually the canvas bags, plus the rubber home plate.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 6.4 · recall

No run scores on a play in which the third out is made by any runner being forced out, whenever the run crossed.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 10.8.1 · applied

A run does not score when the third out is a preceding runner declared out for failing to touch a base.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 10.8.1 · applied

The batter-runner had already touched first, and a tag out is not a force, so the run that crossed first stands.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 10.8.1 · applied

A run does not score if the runner touches home plate while the third out is being made.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 1.3 · recall

The winner is the team that has scored more runs, in accordance with the rules, when the game ends.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 1.5 · recall

A run legally scored cannot be nullified by the runner's later actions, such as trying to return to a base.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 10.8.1 · applied

With the winning run forced home, the game ends only when the runner from third touches home plate and the batter-runner touches first.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 10.8.2 · applied

Three outs end a half-inning, two half-innings make an inning, and a regulation game is a set number of innings.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 6.47 · recall

The appeal at first turns the missed base into the third out; as that out came from the batter-runner, nothing that crossed on the play scores.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 10.8.1 · applied

When the third out is made by the batter-runner before he touches first base, no run scores on that play.

Source: WBSC ORB 2025-2026, Rule 10.8.1 · applied