Rounders
Rounders is a sport which originated in Great Britain and Ireland. The game is regulated by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Ireland and the National Rounders Association (NRA) in the UK. Both have different, although broadly similar, game-play and culture. Competitions are held between teams from both traditions, often with one version being played in the morning and the other being played in the afternoon.
Game-play centers around innings where teams act at turns being batters and fielders. A maximum of nine players are allowed to play in fielding positions at one time. Points ("rounders") are scored by the batting team by completing a circuit around the field through four bases/posts without being put 'out' - for example, by a ball they batted being 'caught-out' or touching a tagged base/post.
The earliest nationally formalised rules of play were devised by the GAA in Ireland in 1884.
Although it is generally considered a school game, rounders is played at international level as well. Currently, teams from Canada, England, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales compete against each other. Some theories on the origin of baseball claim that baseball is based on rounders. Rounders is a sport played with a bat and ball when the ball is thrown to you the ball is meant to be hit with the bat.
Rounders Media
A Little Pretty Pocket-Book (1744), included an illustration of base-ball, depicting a batter, a bowler, and several rounders posts. The rhyme refers to the ball being hit, the boy running to the next post, and then home to score.
A game of rounders being played in Nowton, England
A batter is attempting to give a good hit
Other websites
- Gaelic Athletic Association
- Rounders Council of Ireland Archived 2009-05-25 at the Wayback Machine
- National Rounders Association
- Schools Rounders
- DMOZ - Rounders Archived 2007-12-23 at the Wayback Machine
- Welsh Baseball Union Archived 2008-02-25 at the Wayback Machine
Official rules of rounders:
- Ireland: GAA Rules for Playing Rounders Archived 2009-09-13 at the Wayback Machine
- England: NRA Simplified Rules Archived 2007-11-14 at the Wayback Machine (and information on purchasing official rule books)
