The strike zone's right and left limits correspond to the corners of home plate. A ball is a pitch that the batter does not swing at and does not pass through the strike zone. A strike is called on any pitch that falls within the zone.
In fact, the strike zone is defined by the horizontal space between the outer edges of the home plate and the catcher's box. The zone itself is divided into three regions: the top of the zone is where the ball can be thrown for a hit; the middle of the zone is where the ball can be thrown for a base on balls; and the bottom of the zone is where the ball cannot be thrown for a base on balls. A batter can be awarded bases on balls if he reaches base safely on any count while in the zone.
Thus, the strike zone is the area around home plate on which a pitcher must deliver pitches for strikes or balls. This includes any pitch that is not swung at or missed. In addition to the main zone described above, there is also a lower zone below the belt line. This is where the ball must be pitched if the batter does not take his time stepping into the box after receiving the ball from the pitcher.
A pitch that hits the zone's outer edge is just as much of a strike as one delivered straight down the middle. A ball is a pitch that the batter does not swing at and does not pass through the strike zone (short for "no ball").
The outer border of the strike zone is three-fourths of the way to the back screen. If a pitch reaches this area, it is considered a strike.
The inner portion of the strike zone is between the midpoint of the front screen and the midpoint of the back screen. If a pitch reaches this area, it is considered a ball.
The center of the strike zone is between the midpoints of the front and back screens. This is where the umpire makes his call on whether or not the ball was hit close enough to the center to be valid. If the umpire calls it a ball, then it is impossible for the batter to get away with a bad throw. If he calls it a strike, then it is possible for the batter to get away with a bad throw.
In conclusion, there are two parts to every strike zone: inside and outside. These areas should be used by umpires to make their calls on balls and strikes. There is no right or wrong way to call them, but rather an interpretation of the rules.
There is no ball.
A ball is always called a ball, regardless of where it goes after leaving the pitcher's hand. It can be called a strike if the hitter makes contact with it while it is in the zone. Otherwise, it is a ball.
The call depends on the judgment of the umpire who is working the game. If an outside pitch looks like it might be a strike, but isn't, the umpire can call it a ball to give the pitcher another chance to get the batter out. If the pitch is again outside the zone, then the batter gets another free shot. But if the batter fails to make good contact with the pitch, the inning will end with the catcher throwing home to try and bring in the runner who was going until then scoring the base he came from.
An infielder or outfielder can tag a player who is advancing toward the plate while catching a ball thrown by a pitcher. The player cannot go beyond the line marked off for first base or third base; instead, he is awarded a base on appeal.
If the hitter does not attempt a complete swing, the pitcher must deliver the ball within the strike zone for the pitch to be considered a strike. It is the area right over home plate, between the batter's knees and the precise middle of the body. If a ball is thrown that misses the strike zone by more than 1 inch, the hitter has the chance to apply pressure to it with his bat before it can become a foul ball. This means that if the pitcher throws a ball that is 2 inches off the line or on one side of the plate, the batter can ignore it and keep batting.
The size of the strike zone varies from league to league, but it usually includes the areas between both lines and behind home plate as well as the upper portion of the screen. Some leagues may include the lower part of the screen in their strike zones while others might not. You should check how your league defines its strike zone before you start playing games.
In addition to this, each batter gets 3 strikes before he is out. So even if he doesn't touch the ball, if the pitcher doesn't give him enough time to do so, he will be called out. There are several ways a batter can be put out without hitting the ball, including when he hits into an inning-ending double play or is caught stealing.