Rounders - Townball Version

“…Imagination is more important than knowledge…”

                                                       -ALBERT EINSTEIN.

The origin of Townball can be traced back to 16th century.  At that time, Rounders was very popular in England.  It was natural that colonial America adopted Rounders as a pastime, because the sport sailed over with the Pilgrim fathers in the 16th Century.  By the 19th Century, the American version of Rounders underwent many modifications and began the transformation to the sport of Townball. 

Many regional variations cropped up.  As each town in the United States had its own version, the game acquired the name “Townball”.  As has been established beyond any reasonable doubt, Baseball -- one of the most popular American games today -- is based on a hybrid of Rounders and Townball. 

Rules & Regulations of Townball RULES:  

Townball rules were conceived, put on paper, discussed, modified, reviewed and released for strict enforcement in 1858 in Dedham, Massachusetts.  Townball Rules:

  1. The Ball shall weigh not more than 2¾ ounces or not less than 2 ounces. It should have leather as outer cover and the circumference shall not be more than 8½“ or less than 6½“.
  2. The bat shall be made of wood, shall be round, tapered and the diameter at the broadest point shall not be more than 2½”. The length shall be as desired by the batter.
  3. There are four bases at equidistance – the distance being 60 feet from one base to the next.
  4. Wooden stakes (pointed stick or post driven into the ground as a support or marker), projecting 4ft from the ground give you the base.  No batter shall slide into the stakes as doing so shall result in the player being called out and the sides shall change.
  5. The batter shall stand inside a marked space, which shall be 4ft in diameter.  The space shall be equidistant from the first and forth stakes.
  6. The feeder of thrower shall stand, on a parallel line to the striker, 35ft away.
  7. No catcher shall enter the batter’s space.
  8. The feeder shall throw the ball, not pitch it or toss it up as is done in Cricket, to the bat on the side liked by the striker and within his bat’s reaching arc.
  9. The ball struck by the batter shall be caught while in the air in all cases.
  10. The batter shall be ruled out if he strikes the ball 3-times and missed, or caught each time by a fielder.  If the ball is not caught by any fielder after being struck thrice, it shall be reckoned as a knock and the batter shall have no alternative but to run.  No batter shall stand without striking good balls repeatedly hurled at him, for any reason shall be warned by the referee.
  11. Any player occupying the first base shall vacate the same when the batter who followed him strikes the ball, even though if it meant his getting out.
  12. In the event of two players of the batting side reach the same base, only the player who reached the base last shall occupy the base.
  13. In the case of a player found outside the stake and the fielder caught the ball threw accurately and struck the stake he shall be ruled out.
  14. If a player runs all the 4 bases and on reaching the home, shall be given one score or tally for his side.
  15. If you playing match games, if one of the players is out, his side shall be ruled out.
  16. A match game shall have one hundred tallies, or scores.  Whichever side scores the magical one hundred tally first shall be ruled the winner.