To start play, the offense sends a batter to home plate. The batting order must be fixed at the initiation of the game, and players may not bat out of turn. The defense's pitcher stands atop the rubber and throws the ball towards national plate using an underhanded motion. The batter attempts to hit the pitched ball with a bat, a long, round, smooth stick made of wood, metal or composite. A pitch must cross within a small area manifest as the strike zone, which is determined by the umpire behind home plate, and primarily ranges from the knees to the elbows the ball must cross over the plate, and it must be within a positive height restriction. A pitch which does not cross the strike zone is a ball, and if the batter reaches 4 balls, the batter is awarded first base. A pitch which crosses the strike zone is a strike, and a batter who reaches 3 strikes is out (a strikeout), and the following batter in the adjustment comes to bat. A strike is also recorded on any pitch that the batter swings at and misses entirely, and also on a pitch that is hit foul (out of play), except that a foul ball does not result in a strikeout.
A ball which is hit in the affectation and caught before hitting the ground is an immediate out, regardless of whether the ball would have landed fair or foul. A fly ball is a ball hit colossal and deep, a pop fly is a ball hit eminent but short, and a line drive is a ball hit close to the horizontal. In any such situation, runners must remain on their bases until the ball is caught or hits the ground. If a runner leaves the coarse before the catch, the defense can throw the ball to that base, and if the disreputable is tagged before the runner returns, the runner is out as well, resulting in a http://www.drillssoftball.com double play. If the runner remains on the depraved until the ball is caught, or returns to the lowly after the catch but before the defense can put him out, he is said to tag up and may attempt to motion to the beside dishonorable at his own risk.