Baseball-like game and associated game facility

Abstract

A baseball-like game played within an enclosed mesh net facility, wherein the game rules and facility are designed for fast paced action. The inventive baseball-like game is designed to be played in a time span of approximately one hour. The inventive facility eliminates foul zones, and has designated safe zones and home run zones located on the mesh net sides of the facility. Innings in the game are determined by a set number of pitches, rather than by the number of outs generated. Outs that are generated count as points for the fielding team. Walks that occur are counted as points for the batting team.

1 . A game having innings wherein a player strikes a ball with a bat and runs around bases, the game comprising: 
 providing a bat and a ball;    providing a facility with sides and a ceiling having a playing field located therein;    providing first, second, third and home bases on said playing field, said bases being connected in a circuit by a running path;    positioning said running path from home to first base substantially adjacent to and parallel with a first side of said facility; and    positioning said running path from home to first base substantially adjacent to and parallel with a second side of said facility.    
     
     
         2 . The game having innings of  claim 1 , further comprising determining the length of an inning by a number of pitches thrown.  
     
     
         3 . The game having innings of  claim 1 , further comprising scoring the game by adding a point total to the batting team for each walk.  
     
     
         4 . The game having innings of  claim 1 , further comprising scoring the game by adding a point total to the fielding team for each out.  
     
     
         5 . The game having innings of  claim 4 , wherein said outs are generated by catching fly balls.  
     
     
         6 . The game having innings of  claim 4 , wherein said outs are generated by catching balls rebounding off said sides and ceiling of said enclosure.  
     
     
         7 . The game having innings of  claim 1 , further comprising providing designated safe zones upon said sides of said facility.  
     
     
         8 . The game having innings of  claim 7 , wherein a ball caught by a fielding player after contacting said safe zone is not counted as an out, but can still be thrown by the same fielding player to cause a player from the batting team to be out.  
     
     
         9 . The game having innings of  claim 1 , further comprising scoring the game using wireless electronic means.  
     
     
         10 . The game having innings of  claim 1 , further comprising scoring the game by adding a point total to the fielding team if a member of the batting team deviates a defined distance from a running path while running between bases.  
     
     
         11 . The game having innings of  claim 1 , wherein the ball remains live no matter where it lands in said facility after being struck by a player.  
     
     
         12 . A facility for playing a game wherein a player strikes a ball with a bat and runs a plurality of bases, the facility comprising: 
 an enclosure having vertical sides, said enclosure enclosing an outfield and an infield;    said infield including first, second, third and home bases, said bases being connected in a circuit by a running path;    a portion of said running path from home to first base being positioned substantially adjacent and parallel to a first vertical side of said enclosure;    a portion of said running path from third base to home positioned substantially adjacent and parallel to a second vertical side of said enclosure.    
     
     
         13 . The facility of  claim 12 , wherein said vertical sides further comprise designated safe zones.  
     
     
         14 . The facility of  claim 12 , wherein said vertical sides further comprise designated home run zones.  
     
     
         15 . The facility of  claim 12 , wherein said vertical sides are comprised of net mesh of a size for retaining a regulation sized baseball or softball.  
     
     
         16 . The facility of  claim 12 , further comprising a live ball area located between said noted portions of said running path and said sides of said enclosure.  
     
     
         17 . The live ball area of  claim 16 , having a width of approximately between six to eight feet.  
     
     
         18 . A baseball-like game having innings wherein the length of said innings are determined by the number of pitches thrown.  
     
     
         19 . An enclosed baseball facility wherein all areas located within said facility are live ball ball zones.  
     
     
         20 . A plate for a baseball-like game, the plate being proportioned to have an extended area beyond the dimension of a regulation size baseball plate to allow a member of a fielding team to touch the plate to make an out without having to contact a charging base runner.