Principle of the game:
1. The Sandbag Baseball game is played on a board stand that has
been modified with openings, see Diagram 1, and sandbags.
2. The rules for this game are similar to the real baseball game,
that is to say, that the person who is throwing continues to play until he gets
three strikes for an out.
3 An inning is over when each team has three outs.
Team Play:
1. For this game, five (5) to twelve (12) players are required for
each team, depending on how many want to play. Keep the teams even
numbered for competition sake. It is desirable to have nine (9) players
per team.
2. Each team nominates a Captain and chooses a name.
3. Have a baseball play-off chart showing the progression of the
winners and the team names.
Players Distance:
1. From Home Plate to the rear of the game board, a distance of 21
fee is required. About 17 feet from the front leg.
2. If you have children on the team, the distance can be changed
for them when they throw. They should be able to hit the board.
Positioning the players and the stand:
1. The game board must be placed in such a way as to
allow a chair to be placed behind it (2nd base); a chair to tits right (1st
base); and a chair to its left (3rd base). Make sure there is reasonable
separation between the chairs marking the bases and the chairs where the teams
sit.
2. A line on the ground must clearly indicate where the thrower
will stand. If the heel of the thrower goes ahead of the line, he is OUT;
he may touch the line with his foot but without going ahead of it. The
beast way to mark the line is by a small rope held down with two large nails.
3. The players' chairs must be placed in such a way as not to
obstruct the thrower's view.
4. It is important that each player retains the same chair, in the
same team, for the entire game.
How to score:
1. Each player is allowed to throw sand bags until he has a
base hit, or makes three strikes or makes an out.
2. When the player has thrown a sand bag into one of the holes, he
then is to do what is written under the hole.
3. For instance, the sand bag enters the 1st Base hole, the player
drops the remaining 2 sand bags he is holding and goes to sit on the 1st Base
chair at the right of the game board. He waits for the next player to
throw. He cannot leave his Base until the next player(s) successfully
throw a sandbag, or the team scores three OUTS.
4. If the next player throws a sand bag into the 2nd Base hole, the
player at 1st Base goes, touches 2nd Base chair, and continues to the 3rd Base
chair. At the same time, the player who has just thrown the bag goes and
touches 1st Base chair, continues on to and sits on the 2nd Base chair.
5. If the following player throws a sand bag into the 1st Base
hole, he gies on and sits in the 1st Base chair. The player at 3rd Base
cannot go home and score. He has to be forced to go Home.
6. When the 3 bases are loaded, if the next player throws into the
1st Base hole, all players advance one chair, but only the player on 3rd Base
gets to score. If that player had thrown in the 2nd Base hole, two players
would score, and if he had thrown into the 3rd Base hole, three players would
have scored.
7. A home run makes all players on the Bases score including the
player who threw the sand bag.
8. Each bag thrown and not entering a hole is considered a
strike. If the 1st or 2nd bag enters the FOUL hole, it is also considered
a strike.
9. A player is OUT when he has three strikes or if he throws a bag
into the hole marked OUT.
10. If the 3rd bag enters the FOUL hole, the player is allowed to
throw another sand bag until a base hit , or a strike, or an OUT is made.
11. The score keeper will keep track of the OUTs and strikes, and
call them out to the players as they are made.
12. The inning ends when each team scores three OUTs. When a
team has three OUTs, the player following the one who had the last OUT will
start the next inning.
13. A flip of the coin will determine which team captain will start
throwing. The winner has the choice to start first or let the other team
start.
14. If a sand bag is only half entered into the a hole, it does not
count. If a following sand bag thrown by the same player pushes it in and
enters the same hole or another hole, on the first bag counts.
15. You must throw the sand bag underhand.
16. A game is complete after nine innings. short innings may
be scheduled.
17. For the sake of expediency, 6 runs in any one inning by a team
is the maximum. When a team has scored 6 runs in an inning, it is
considered as if they have three outs.
18. It is preferable to have a referee who is not a player.
His role is to watch the board to see which hole is entered and that the player
stays behind the line. Also, to make sure that all runners touch or sit in
all the chairs as they pass the bases and touch home, or the run can be
cancelled.
19. A scorekeeper is required to keep score on the two teams and to
call out the names as they come up to throw. He will also call out the
strikes and OUTs like a real umpire.
How to fill in the score sheet:
1. Each team uses a separate score sheet. Fill in the
team name at the top and the names of players on the left column.
2. If teams have more than 10 players each, use a second score
sheet.
3. If a player throws a sand bag in the hole indicating 1 Base,
circle 1B; the same for 2B, 3B, or HR.
4. When a run is made, fill in the little box above the letters HR
on the score sheet for the person making the run. These solid boxes are
how to keep track of the runs.
5. When a player throws into the Home Run hole, circle the HR and
fill in the little box for this run. If he drives in runs from any who
were sitting on Base chairs, fill in the boxes under their names.
6. When a player is OUT, insert an X in the box. An inning is
over when you have three boxes with an X.
7. Draw a line under the square of the player who makes the 3rd OUT,
so the next inning can start with the following player.
8. Do not shift to the next inning column each time, keep track of
the innings by these lines. The whole team may have to play before having
3 outs or 6 runs, and you may run out of columns. Using the line method,
you may only need 5 columns during the 9 innings, but they are there if needed.
9. The bottom line on the score sheet is for reporting the
runs. Each inning column has two triangles. The first triangle is
for the runs made by the first 10 players. The second triangle is the
running total of the game. Count the filled in boxes in the column to give
you the runs made for the first triangle.
Diagram 1 (Game Board) Bean Bag Score Sheet