This evening The Local Voice received an email from Adrieanne Perez, the Executive Assistant of BASEketball Director David Zucker, who read Jaime Adams article from TLV #296 and he wanted to clarify the rules of the game.
BASEketball Rules
The game usually lasts 7 innings, but in tournaments, 5. There are two teams, three players on each.
OFFENSE
After the batting order is determined, the first-up player chooses a “square”. There are three squares from each shooting distance, spread perpendicular from the basket. Thus, a “middle” SINGLE would be shot from the FREE THROW line, two “outside” singles from about 6 to 8 feet to either side. DOUBLES in the same middle and side positions, but aprox. two steps back from the SINGLE line. TRIPLES two steps back from the DOUBLE line (traditionally the slant down to the street, HOME RUN is from the street.
BASEketball courts can vary, as do major league baseball stadiums. Dimensions can be adjusted according to skill of the players. But the “two steps back” distance for doubles, triples and home runs remains the general rule of thumb.
PLAY
A player chooses a square and shoots. A “made” shot puts an imaginary runner on whatever base the shot represents. A missed shot is an out. Any players on base must be forced, that is, if a player is on second and the next shooter hits a single, the runner on second does not advance to third. After three outs, the teams change sides.
SHOT LIMITS
Once any shot is attempted from among the nine single/douple/triple squares, that square is marked with a potholder, no shot can be taken from that square for the rest of that inning. There are no limits for the amount of BUNTS or HOME RUNS attempted in a single inning.
BUNTS
A bunt is taken from a 10 foot distance or less from one side of the basket. A made bunt does not put a runner on base, but is not counted as an out. It advances an existing runner one base. A bunt is most often used in scoring a runner on third.
DEFENSE
Two players (rotating in 3 player line-up) are on the court. The principal weapons are the DOUBLE PLAY and the PSYCHE OUT.
DOUBLE PLAY
With one or more runners on base, and fewer than two outs, the two defenders may attempt a DOUBLE PLAY, by tipping in a missed shot to eliminate the runner furthest along on the bases.
The DEFENSE has two initial chances to get the ball in, one for each defender, without interference of from the OFFENSE. If made, it’s a double play, two outs. If each defender misses, ANY TWO of the offensive players can attempt a tip in, without interference from the defense. If the offense makes the tip, the original shot counts as made, for a “CONVERSION”. If the offense fails to make the initial CONVERSION, a free-for-all tip in ensues, determining the result.
TIP-IN RULES
Players must be off the ground, the ball has to touch the apparatus between shots by teammates for it to remain in play. Between opposing teams: An air ball remains in play, again, providing the player is off the ground.
PSYCHE OUTS
Since no physical “guarding” is allowed, a tactic to break the shooter’s concentration and make him miss. Any direct physical contact is forbidden, as is any kind of “guarding” but anything else is fair game. In the creation of the game of BASEketball, psyche outs were usually of the subtle variety. EXAMPLE: An offhand verbal suggestion that a particular shooter “never misses” or pointing out that a shooter’s foot is over the line. Traditionally this was more than enough to rattle a shooter. But with the 1998 movie “BASEketball, the outrageous visual, verbal and physical over-the-top psyche outs made for great comedy, but painted a distorted picture of the actual driveway game. An actual BASEketball tournament can be successful and fun without any excessive or forced trash talking or verbal abuse. In any case, any comments must be completed before the shooter is in motion. 
