The Blue Jays are in the playoffs for the first time in 22 years, drawing the attention of long-time fans, as well as newcomers, who hope to see Toronto make a post-season run to the World Series. For those who just jumping on the baseball bandwagon now, here鈥檚 a roundup of unique baseball rules and plays to get you in the know.

Pitching

  • Strike zone - This is one of the most essential aspects of any baseball game. Picture the strike zone as an hovering above home plate. Pitches thrown into the area are considered strikes, those outside it are balls. The zone is the width of home plate, and the height between a player鈥檚 knee caps and the midsection of their torso while he鈥檚 in his hitting stance. And if an umpire misses a strike call? That鈥檚 the easiest way to get on a player鈥檚 .
  • Hit by a pitch - If a pitch outside of the strike zone , the batter is awarded first base. There are exceptions: If the batter is swinging or standing still, and making no effort to avoid the pitch when he鈥檚 hit, he鈥檒l remain at the plate and the pitch will either be called a strike or a ball.

Offence

  • Foul balls - If a batter makes contact with a pitch, but hits it outside the foul lines, which extend from home plate to the foul poles in the outfield, the play is ruled a foul ball and the batter receives a strike. If a player already has two strikes, then hits a foul ball, the strike count remains the same and he gets another chance at bat. If the player hits a pitch onto the foul line, or hits a , the ball is considered fair and in-play.
  • Bunting - Bunting is when a player holds his bat horizontally to make contact with the baseball. A good bunter usually hits the ball in the area between home plate and the mound. It can be used to to the next base, setting up the team's better players to drive in the runners. This is risky because you're most likely trading an out to put your runners in scoring position, unless you outrun the throw to first base or an error is made.

Defence

  • Outs - An out is recorded when a team鈥檚 pitcher and defence prevent a batter from getting onto a base. This can be done by catching a ball in the air before it hits the ground, touching a runner with the baseball, or throwing the ball to a teammate while he鈥檚 on a base before the runner reaches the base. A defence needs to record at least 27 outs in order to win the game.
  • Errors - An error is charged to a fielder or pitcher who botches a "routine play" such as dropping a fly ball, making a poor throw that results in a man on base, or mishandling a ground ball. An error isn't charged if a runner beats out a throw or if a fielder lets a fly ball drop for a base hit because he couldn't see it. Errors are determined by an official scorer, and can be for a team.
  • The shift - Some players are very good at hitting to one side of the field. For example, Jose Bautista hit 40 home runs this season, but only one of them to right field. When these kinds of batters are at the plate, teams will shift an infielder from his normal position to the batter鈥檚 strong side, or where he hits the ball most frequently. This will leave only one infielder defending the opposite side of the field. Sometimes the shift ; other times it .

Base Running

  • Stolen bases - This is where speed can be so valuable to a team. When a player鈥檚 on base, and the pitcher is preparing to pitch, he can decide to try and run to the next base. The aim is to get there before the pitcher or catcher clue in and throw to the baseman. If the fielder can catch the ball and tag the runner before he touches the base, it鈥檚 an out. But if the player is successful, he can singlehandedly of the game or his team鈥檚 .
  • Tagging up - If a ball is hit in the air, runners on base can tag up by placing a foot on their base, whether they鈥檙e on first, second or third. Once the ball is caught, they have the option to test the outfielder鈥檚 arm and move up a base. Sometimes they ; sometimes .

Miscellaneous

  • Innings- Unlike sports like hockey or basketball, baseball has no time limit. A baseball game contains nine innings. Each inning is split in half, with the home team on offence in the second, or bottom, half of the inning. When a defence records three outs, that half of the inning is over. A team wins by scoring more runs after they鈥檝e made 27 outs. If a game is tied after both teams have made 27 outs, the game goes into 鈥渆xtra innings鈥� and is only completed when a team has a lead after a full extra inning has been played. Since there鈥檚 no time limits, baseball games can last anywhere between two and eight hours.
  • Clutch - Picture a runner on third, two outs and the team鈥檚 closer on the mound trying to finish the game. So-called clutch players live for such scenarios. A hitter or pitcher is considered clutch if he can come through in these game changing situations. Also see: .
  • Fan interference - If a fan reaches into the field of play and interferes with a player鈥檚 ability to make a catch, for example, the runners are granted a base they wouldhave otherwise reached. The fan is ejected, too. So, if you're heading to the ballpark for some post-season action, remember that it's better not to reach out of the stands for a potential souvenir, otherwise you could end up like . 

Even with a glossary, baseball can be difficult to understand for first-time viewers. So if you鈥檙e ever having trouble following along, just enjoy plays like and root for the Blue Jays!