How to Play Home Run Derby

Step 1: Gather equipment Gather your baseball equipment. Make sure you have a bucket of baseballs, a bat, and a glove.
Step 2: Find a location Find a baseball diamond or a large open field to play in. Designate a distance for home runs and mark it on the field.
TIP: You can use extra equipment, sticks, rocks, or trash cans to mark the home run boundary.
Step 3: Set up home plate and a pitching net Place a marker to represent home plate and set up your pitching net a comfortable distance behind it.
Step 4: Set up the rules Determine the number of outs each batter is allowed before their turn ends. Typically, batters are allowed 10 outs.
TIP: Usually the batter is allowed to take as many pitches without swinging as they want, but you may want to set up a limit to move the game along.
Step 5: Use a round system Allow two “at bats” for each batter, and the two batters with the most home runs battle in one final round.
FACT: Ross Barnes of Spalding’s Chicago Team, which later became the Cubs, is credited with hitting the first home run in an organized major league game in 1876.

Lessons in this Guide