Corkball Rules

This is an official Markwort corkball:

You can buy these balls at several online sporting goods retailers, and also at all Johnny Mac’s Sporting Goods locations.

The following corkball rules are taken from the Markwort site.

Foreword

The game of Corkball has long been a favorite in the St. Louis area. It is a game that has many of the features of baseball yet can be played in a very small area. It is a good summertime game because no exhausting action is required – the action is centered around the pitcher, the catcher and the batter; there is no base running. Corkball is also played in winter in netted areas in gymnasiums. And there is no age limit – Corkball players range in age from six to 86. Pitchers throw fast balls, curves, knuckleballs, sliders and changeups. One swinging strike retires the batter, providing the catcher holds the pitch. Two strikes, either swinging or called, are out, providing the catcher holds the second strike.

Five balls constitutes a walk, the equivalent of a hit. Four walks, or four hits, or a combination of four walks and hits, scores a run, and each succeeding walk or hit in the same inning scores an additional run.

1.00 History

The game of corkball originated in St. Louis, Missouri, in the 1890s. The game is played extensively in and around St. Louis and recently has spread to other parts of the country, as a result of St. Louis servicemen introducing the game to their buddies during World War II and the Korean conflict.

2.00 Playing Field

The playing field shall be laid out in accordance with the accompanying diagrams, located at the bottom of this page. Some organized leagues play in cages which are about seventy-five feet long and about twenty feet in width.

3.00 Equipment

3.01 The ball shall be an official corkball, weighing 1.6 ounces and measuring 6.5 inches in circumference.
3.02 The bat shall be no longer than thirty-eight inches long and, at its thickest part, may be no larger in diameter than 1.5 inches.
3.03 The catcher’s glove is subject to the same limitations prescribed by official baseball rules for fielders gloves (gloves other than those used by the catcher and first baseman). A glove with a minimum of padding is recommended.
3.04 The catcher (as well as the umpire) shall be required to wear a mask to prevent possible injury (Markwort makes special masks for Corkball). All batters must wear a batting helmet.
3.05 Uniforms are optional. Players in organized leagues generally wear baseball or softball caps and softball-styled T-shirts. (Pitchers must wear a shirt other than white.)
3.06 Home plate and pitcher’s plate are the same as those used in baseball.

4.00 The Game

4.01 Five innings of three outs each for both teams constitutes a game. Team scoring the most runs is the winner.
4.02 Each victory counts as two points in team standings. A tie game counts as one point for each team. (Note: Some teams dispense with tie games by playing extra innings. In such case, beginning with the sixth inning, each hit is scored as a run.)
4.03 A run is scored on four hits or four walks, or a combination of the two. After the first run is scored, each additional hit or walk in that inning scores another run.
4.04 A hit is any batted ball which settles in fair territory (i.e., beyond the foul line and the 15 foot circle), even though it may first hit the top or side of the cage. If it hits the back of the cage and bounces fair, it is a foul ball.
4.05 Five balls constitutes a walk. When batting averages are kept, a walk is not considered as a time at bat.
4.06 The batter is out when: a) he hits a foul ball; b) he hits a fair ball which is caught by one of the opposing players before first hitting the ground or touching the top or side of the cage; c) he swings and misses a pitch, providing the catcher catches the ball before it hits the ground; d) he takes two strikes, either or both of which may be called strikes, providing the catcher catches the second of the two; e) he bunts the ball (bunting is illegal, batter must take a full swing); f) if he is hit by a pitched ball while in the motion of swinging.
4.07 A batted ball which hits in fair territory and then rolls foul is a foul ball.
4.08 A pitched ball hitting either the batter or the bat without any motion on the part of the batter shall be adjudged a ball or strike by the umpire depending upon whether or not the ball was in the strike zone at the time of contact.
4.09 A pitched ball which hits the ground before reaching the plate may be swung at by the batter. If he hits a fair ball it is a hit, a foul ball is not. If he missed the pitch it is a strike. If he does not swing it is a ball, even though it may pass through the strike zone after hitting the ground.
4.10 If the catcher interferes with the batter’s bat, causing him to strike out or foul out, the batter shall be awarded a walk. If a batter hits ball fair, it’s a hit.
4.11 The batter must remain in the regulation batting box. If he steps out of the box or across the plate to swing at a pitch, he shall be declared out.
4.12 Pitcher must keep one foot on the pitcher’s plate when delivering a pitch.

5.00 General

5.01 Five men constitute a team although the game may be played with a minimum of two men, a pitcher and a catcher, on each side.
5.02 There are no bases or base lines as there is no base running.
5.03 Although most organized leagues play in caged courts, the game is readily adaptable to open lots, parks, alleys, sidewalks, etc. One of the features of the game is that the playing space required is at a minimum.
5.04 When the game is not played in a cage, a home run line is optional. This line should be parallel to the foul line at a distance of 250 feet from home plate and should be well defined.
Additional lines can be marked 150 feet from home plate to be the single zone. Another line at 200 feet would be the double zone if the ball lands between the 150 and the 200 foot line. A triple would be a ball landing between the 200 foot line and a line at 250 feet.
If the hit lines are used, then the following additional scoring can be used;
The runners shall move the exact number of bases that the batter accomplishes as a hit. As per examples that follow:
Example Number 1 – There is a man on 2nd base, the batter hits a single, the runner on 2nd moves to third.
Example Number 2 – There is a man on 3rd base, the batter hits a single, the runner on 3rd scores.
Example Number 3 – There is a man on 3rd base, the batter walks, the runner on 3rd does not advance.
5.05 The foul line, fifteen feet in front of home plate, extends the width of the cage. When the game is not played in a cage, there are no limits to the ends of the foul line.

6.00 The Umpire

6.01 The umpire shall call balls and strikes and make any other decisions necessary to the playing of the game. All decisions based on the judgement of the umpire are final.
6.02 A decision wherein there is a difference of interpretation of a rule may be protested to league headquarters. Notification of the protest should be made to the umpire at the time of the disputed play. Such protests should be extremely rare, as decisions normally will be decisions of judgement and not of interpretation.