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Vintage Base Ball Rules and Customs
The Rules of 1884, as adopted by the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs.
SOURCE: Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide (1884)
PLAYING RULES
-OF THE-
NATIONAL LEAGUE
-OF-
Professional Base Ball Clubs;
1884.
ADOPTED IN PURSUANCE OF SECTION 51 OF THE LEAGUE CONSTITUTION.
CLASS I.
the materials of the game.
Rule 1. The Ground must be an inclosed field, sufficient in size to enable each player to play in his position as required by these Rules.
Rule 2. The Infield must be a space of ground thirty yards square.
Rule 3. The Bases must be
(1) Four in number, and designated as First Base, Second Base, Third Base and Home Base.
(2) The Home Base must be of white marble or white stone twelve inches square, so fixed in the ground as to be even with the surface, and so placed in the corner of the infield that two of its sides will form part of the boundaries of said infield.
(3) The First, Second and Third Bases must be canvas bags, fifteen inches square, painted white, and filled with some soft material, and so placed that the center of each shall be upon a separate corner of the infield, the First Base at the right, the Second Base opposite, and the Third Base at the left of the Home Base.
(4) All the Bases must be securely fastened in their positions, and so placed as to be distinctly seen by the Umpire.
Rule 4. The Foul Lines must be drawn in straight lines from the outer corner of the Home Base, through the center of the positions of First and Third Bases, to the boundaries of the Ground.
Rule 5. The Pitcher's Lines must be straight lines forming the boundaries of a space of ground, in the infield, six feet long by four feet wide, distant fifty feet from the center of the Home Base, and so placed that the six feet lines would each be two feet distant from and parallel with a straight line passing through the center of the Home and Second Bases. Each corner of this space must be marked by a flat iron plate or stone six inches square, fixed in the ground even with the surface.
Rule 6. The Catcher's Lines must be drawn from the outer corner of the Home Base, in continuation of the Foul Lines, straight to the limits of the Ground back of Home Base.
Rule 7. The Captain's Lines must be drawn from the Catcher's Lines to the Limits of the Ground, fifteen feet from and parallel with the Foul lines.
Rule 8. The Players' Lines must be drawn from the Catcher's Lines to the limits of the Ground, fifty feet distant from and parallel with, the Foul lines.
Rule 9. The Player's Bench must be furnished by the Home Club, and placed upon a portion of the Ground outside the Players' Lines. It must be twelve feet in length and immovably fashioned to the ground. At each end of such bench must be immovably fixed a bat-rack, with fixtures for holding twenty bats; one such rack must be designated for the exclusive use of the Visiting Club, and the other for the exclusive use of the Home Clib.
Rule 10. The Batsman's Lines must be straight lines forming the boundaries of a space on the right, and of a similar space on the left of the Home Base, six feet long by four feet wide, extending three feet in front of and three feet behind the center of the Home Base, and with its nearest line distant one foot from the Home Base.
Rule 11. The.Three Feet Lines must be drawn as follows: From a point on the Foul Line from Home Base to First Base, and equally distant from such bases, shall be drawn a line on Foul Ground, at a right angle to said Foul Line, and to a point three feet distant from it; thence running parallel with said Foul Line, to a point three feet distant from the First Base; thence in a straight line to the Foul Line, and thence upon the Foul Line to point of beginning.
Rule 12. The lines designated in Rules 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 must be marked with chalk or other suitable material, so as to be distinctly seen by the Umpire. They must all be so marked their entire length, except the Captain's and Players' Lines, which must be so marked for a distance of at least thirty-five yards from the Catcher's Lines, or to the limits of the grounds
Rule 13. The Ball.
(1) Must not weigh less than five nor more than five and one-quarter ounces avoirdupois, and measure not less than nine nor more than nine and one-quarter inches in circumference. It must be composed of woolen yarn, and contain not more than one ounce of vulcanized rubber in mould form, and be covered in leather. It must be furnished by the Secretary of the League, whose seal shall be final evidence of the legality of the ball.
(2) In all games the ball or balls played with shall be furnished by the Home Club, and become the property of the winning club.
(3) Should the ball become out of shape, or cut or ripped so as to expose the yarn, or in any way so injured as to be unfit for fair use in the opinion of the Umpire, on being appealed to by either captain, a new ball shall at once be called for by the Umpire.
(4) Should the ball be lost during the game, the Umpire shall, at the expiration of five minutes, call for a new ball.
Rule 14. The Bat.
(1) Must be made wholly of wood.
(2) It must be round, must not exceed two and one-half inches in diameter in the thickest part, and must not exceed forty- two inches in length.
CLASS II.
field rules.
Rule 15. No Club shall allow open betting or pool selling upon its grounds, nor in any building owned or occupied by it.
Rule 16. No Club shall sell or allow to be sold upon its grounds, nor in any building owned or occupied by it, any spirituous, vinous or malt liquors.
Rule 17. No person shall be allowed upon any part of the field during the progress of the game, in addition to the nine players on each side and the umpire, except such officers of the law as may be present in uniform to preserve the peace.
Rule 18. Players' in uniform shall not be permitted to seat themselves among the spectators.
Rule 19. The umpire is the sole judge of play, and is entitled to the respect of the spectators, and any person offering any insult or indignity to him, must be promptly ejected from the grounds.
Rule 20. Every Club shall furnish sufficient police force upon its own grounds to preserve order, and in the event of a crowd entering the field during the progress of a game, and interfering with the play in any manner, the Visiting Club may refuse to play further until the field be cleared. If the ground be not cleared within fifteen minutes thereafter, the Visiting Club may claim, and shall be entitled to, the game by a score of nine runs to none (no matter what number of innings have been played).
Rule 21. No Umpire, Manager, Captain or Player shall address the audience during the progress of a game, except in case of necessary explanation.
CLASS III.
the players and their positions. .
Rule 22. The Players of each club, in a match game, shall be nine in number, one of whom shall act as Captain.
Rule 23. The players'positions shall be
(1) When in the field (designated "Fielders" in these Rules) such as may be assigned them by their Captain, except that the Pitcher must take his position within the Pitcher's Lines, as defined in Rule 5.
(2) When their side goes to the bat the players must immediately return to and seat themselves upon the Players' bench and remain there until the side is put out, except when bats- man or base runner. All bats not in use must be kept in the bat racks, and the two players next succeeding the batsman, in the order in which they are named on the Score, must be ready with bat in hand to promptly take position as batsman; Provided, That the Captain and one assistant only may occupy the space between the Players' Lines and the Captain's Lines to coach Base-Runners.
(3) The Batsmen must take their positions within the Batsman's Lines, as defined in Rule 10, in the order in which they are named on the Score, which must contain the batting order of both nines and must be followed, except in case of disability of a player, in which case the substitute must take the place of the disabled player in the batting order.
(4) No player of the side at bat, except when Batsman, shall occupy any portion of the space within the Catcher's Lines, as defined in Rule 6.
CLASS IV.
definitions.
The remaining sections to come.Interpretation Notes.
Providence Grays interpretation http://www.providencegrays.org/Rules/rules.html
Places where these are the home rules.
The grounds of the 1884 Providence Grays, Colt State Park, Bristol, Rhode Island.