Bat-and-ball games

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Bat-and-ball games are field games played by two teams. They are also known as safe haven (safe zone) games, because players generally score points and take risks by running between various safe zones in the field. These teams take turns "batting" and "fielding." The team that is batting can score. The team that is fielding is defending. Both teams have equal chances batting and fielding. Bat-and-ball games are not timed, but are counted (such as by number of "innings" or "rounds".)

The name bat-and-ball games comes from some common parts of most of these games. In most games, a player on the fielding team puts a ball into play, mostly by throwing the ball. (How the player does this depends on the game's rules.) Then a player on the batting team tries to hit the ball, usually with a "bat." A bat is a kind of club, though the size and shape depend on the rules. This player can then run between the safe zones in the field to score points, though the fielding team can use the ball on the player from the batting team, or a target in one of the safe zones, to get the player "out" if they are not in a safe zone. (In cricket, a player who is out can not score points for the rest of their team's scoring turn, while in other bat-and-ball sports, they might have to wait before batting again.) Thus, the further the batting player can hit the ball away from the defensive players, the more points they are likely to be able to score.

The two most popular bat-and-ball games in the world are cricket and baseball. Games like golf and hockey, which also use clubs, are not bat-and-ball games. (In golf, there are no teams. In hockey, the teams do not take turns "batting" and "fielding.")