Play The Game

Rounders All Year Round

Rounders is far more than just a sport for school children in the playground. It can suit the whole family, a group of colleagues or can even be played at elite levels. Aside from an excellent social atmosphere, rounders can help improve hand-eye coordination, reflexes and improves cardiovascular health, providing a full body workout and between the throwing, catching, running and batting, you may find yourself burning up to 400 calories in an hour!

There are opportunities for people both returning to rounders or trying it for the first time. You can search for teams in your area or check the calendar for events. There are also Indoor Leagues to make it easier for people to stay in the game all year round.

  • Outdoors

    Rounders is a striking and fielding team game, where points known as ’rounders’ are scored by a player hitting a leather-cased ball with a bat and then completing a circuit of the track – consisting of four bases. The goal is to both score the most amount of points as well as to get the batting team ‘out’ as fast as possible. The game’s popularity is primarily down to its simplicity and little amount of equipment. You just need a ball, a bat, a location and a bunch of people to play with.

    Rounders is great for everything from family holidays to corporate retreats. You can also take part at a competitive level and join a team. There are also versions of the game for every schedule and occasion! From nine-a-side, two innings games to fun mini versions; variations of the game include indoor rounders, wheelchair rounders, and outdoors on grass or artificial surfaces and on the beach.

    The traditional Rounders season is played outdoors and starts in April and ends in September, as the game moves indoors.

       

    20 Ball Innings

    This is a short version of the traditional game, taking around half an hour to complete. Traditional rules apply, with the following differences:

    • Matches are played over one innings of 20 good balls per team.
    • If there is only one batter left on entering the square, he/she is entitled to have the option of 3 good balls. If no full rounder is scored during this option, the batter is out. If fewer than 3 good balls are remaining, then the option shall be limited to however many good balls are remaining. For example, on ball 19 there will be the option of 2 good balls, on ball 20 there is only the option of 1 good ball. If a batter scores a full rounder then they are entitled to one minutes rest before continuing to use up the remaining good balls.

    Walking Rounders

    To play Walking Rounders, some rules need to be adapted to ensure that the game is played appropriately. If you’re playing a game competitively, these rules become important.

    Rounders England has recommended adaptions in the document below. If you are not playing a competitive game, it is really important to deliver a fun and flexible session, therefore, how closely you adhere to the rule adaptions is dependant on your group. For example, you may decide to make the pitch smaller, and play with a soft ball.

    One rule which must be enforced in all Walking Rounders sessions is to ensure that everyone is WALKING: “A player, when walking around the track or fielding a ball, must have at least part of one foot in contact with the ground at all times.” The penalty for not complying is 1 point or ½ rounder deduction (depending on scoring option) for your team, whether you are batting or fielding.

    Official Rounders Rules will apply, with exceptions:

  • Indoors

    Playing indoors makes Rounders an all-year-round sport, keeping players fit and active, ready for outdoor play in the spring/summer season. It is a fast, exciting version of the traditional game, played in a sports hall with the ball bouncing off the walls at crazy angles and its own set of rules.

    You only need 6 people to make up a team, and the game and setting is ideally suited to  ‘pay and play’ for individuals who can be placed into teams on the day.

    The indoor rules, are similar to the Official Rounders Rules, making it easy for people to pick up the game and start their own Indoor Rounders teams. You will need a space equivalent to four badminton courts to play comfortably. You can download a diagram of the dimensions of an indoor Rounders pitch.

    Indoor Rounders is a limited-ball, six-a-side game for both men and women and can be played as a team or as a drop-in game to make it easier for busy people to come and have a go. It is exciting, fast and fun, with the ball bouncing off the ceiling and off the walls at odd angles which makes it easy for anyone to be able to score and have fun.

    Pauline Connington, HWSA League Secretary, was one of the first people to organise and try out the new Indoor Rounders.

  • Inclusive

    Rounders is a sport that can easily be adapted to make it accessible and inclusive to all, Rounders England are proud to have developed a wheelchair version of the game.

    A project, managed by Lincolnshire Sport and funded by Short Breaks at Lincolnshire County Council, was the first of its kind in the country. No other project solely dedicated to Wheelchair Rounders has ever been developed before, and St. Francis Special School was the pilot school for Rounders England.

  • Workplace

    With work often a 24-hour concern, having the time and motivation for fun and physical activity doesn’t come along often. With its quick, simple but competitive nature, Rounders presents the perfect antidote for people looking for pure escapism. As well as providing a weekly challenge and that little competitive edge the involvement in Rounders can offer the following:

    • Promotes healthy lifestyles for your employees – “healthy body, healthy mind”
    • Builds a proactive and efficient workforce
    • Boost confidence within your workforce
    • Heightens ability to work as part of a team
    • Encourages strategic planning and analytical skills throughout your workforce
    • Provides an environment to identify and challenge leadership skills
    • Participation from other business can enhance local networking and partnership opportunities

Junior Rounders

What you need to know to get you started introducing young people to Rounders.

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Rounders Equipment

An overview of the essential equipment you will need to start playing competitively.

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