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How did the Knickerbocker Rules change the way runners were put out?

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Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers, wearing a white uniform and helmet, watches his hit while holding a bat during a game at Dodger Stadium. — Baseball Freddie Freeman, shown here in a 2023 game, was named World Series MVP in 2024 after hitting four home runs and driving in 12 runs for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Knickerbocker Rules, formulated in 1845 by the New York Knickerbocker Base Ball Club, introduced a significant change to how runners were put out. Prior to these rules, the game was similar to rounders, where a runner could be put out by being hit with a thrown ball. Under the Knickerbocker Rules, this method was replaced by the requirement that a runner must be tagged with the ball to be put out.1

This change was historically significant because it allowed for the use of a harder ball, which in turn facilitated the development of a larger-scale game.1