Substitutes.

RULE 26. Sec. 1. In every championship game each team shall have present on the field in uniform, at least one or more substitute players.

Sec. 2. The names of two players shall be printed on the score card as extra players, either one or both of whom may be substituted at the end of any even innings, but the player or players retired shall not thereafter participate in the game. In addition thereto a substitute may be allowed at any time in place of a player disabled in the game then being played, by reason of illness or injury, of the nature and extent of which the Umpire shall be the sole judge.

Sec. 3. The Base Runner shall not have a substitute run for him, except by consent of the Captains of the contesting teams.

Choice of Innings - Conditions of Ground.

RULE 27. The choice of innings shall be given to the Captain of the home club, who shall also be sole judge of the fitness of the ground for beginning the game after rain.

The Delivery of the Ball - Fair and Unfair Balls.

RULE 28. A good ball is a ball delivered by the Pitcher while standing wholly within the lines of his position, and facing the batsman, the ball, so delivered, to pass over the home base, not lower than the batsman's knee, nor higher than his shoulder.

RULE 29. A bad ball is a ball delivered by the Pitcher, as in RULE 28, except that the ball does not pass over the Home Base, or does pass over the Home Base above the batsman's shoulder, or below the knee.

Balking.

RULE 30. A Balk is

Sec. 1. Any motion made by the Pitcher to deliver the ball to the bat without delivering it, and shall be held to include any and every accustomed motion with the hands, arms or feet, or position of the body assumed by the Pitcher in his delivery of the ball, and any motion calculated or intended to deceive a bse runner, except the ball be accidentally dropped.

Sec. 2. The holding of the ball by the Pitcher so long as to delay the game unnecessarily ; or

Sec. 3. Any motion to deliver the ball, or the delivery of the ball to the bat by the Pitcher when any part of his person is upon ground outside of the lines of his position, including all the preliminary motions with the hands, arms and feet.

Dead Balls.

RULE 31. A Dead Ball is a ball delivered to the bat by the Pitcher that touches the Batsman's bat without being struck at; or any part of the Batsman's person or clothing while standing in his position without being struck at; or any part of the Umpire's person or clothing, while on foul ground, without first passing the Catcher.

RULE 32. In case of a Foul Strike, Foul Hit ball not legally caught out, Dead Ball, or Base Runner put out for being struck by a fair hit ball, the ball shall not be considered in play until it is held by the Pitcher standing in his position.

Block Balls.

RULE 33. SEC. 1. A Block is a batted or thrown ball that is stopped or handled by any person not engaged in the game.

Sec. 2. Whenever a Block occurs the Umpire shall declare it, and Base Runners may run the bases without being put out, until the ball has been returned to and held by the Pitcher standing in his position.

Sec. 3. In the case of a Block, if the person not engaged in the game should retain possession of the ball, or t throw or kick it beyond the reach of the Fielders, the Umpire should call "Time," and require each base runner to stop at the last base touched by him until the ball be returned to the Pitcher standing in his position.

The Scoring of Runs.

RULE 34. One Run shall be scored every time a Base Runner after having legally touched the first three bases, shall touch the Home Base before three men are put out. If the third man is forced out, or is put out before reaching First Base, a run shall not be scored.

The Batting Rules.

RULE 35. A Fair Hit is a ball batted by the Batsman, standing in his position, that first touches the ground, the First Base, the Third Base, any part of the person of a player, Umpire, or any other object that is in front of or on either of the Foul Lines, or batted directly to the ground by the Batsman, standing in his position, that (whether it first touches foul or fair ground) bounds or rolls within the Foul Lines, between Home and First or Home and Third Bases, without interference by a player.

RULE 36. A Foul Hit is a ball batted by the Batsman, standing in his position, that first touches the ground, any part of the person of a player, or any other object that is behind either of the Foul Lines, or that strikes the person of such Batsman, while standing in his position, or batted directly to the ground by the Batsman, standing in his position, that (whether it first touches foul or fair ground) bounds or rolls outside the Foul Lines, between Home and First or Home and Third Bases, without interference by a player.

Balls Batted Outside the Grounds.

RULE 37. When a batted ball passes outside the ground the Umpire shall decide it fair should it disappear within, or foul should it disappear within, or foul should it disappear outside of the range of the Foul Lines, and Rules 35 and 36 are to be construed accordingly.

RULE 38. A Fair Batted Ball that goes over the fence at a less distance than 210 feet from Home Base shall entitle the Batsman to only two bases and a distinctive line shall be marked on the fence at this point.

Strikes.

RULE 39. A Strike is

Sec. 1. A Ball struck at by the Batsman without its touching his bat; or

Sec. 2. A Good Ball, legally delivered by the Pitcher, but not struck at by the Batsman.

Sec. 3. Any obvious attempt to make a foul hit.

RULE 40. A Foul Strike is a ball batted by the Batsman when any part of his person is upon ground outside the lines of the Batsman's position.

The Rules: 1890 Players' National League of Base Ball Clubs

The Rules of the Game: A Compilation of the Rules of Baseball 1845–1900