home plate

baseball

Also known as: home base

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

In baseball, home plate is a five-sided rubber slab located at one corner of the baseball diamond. It is the spot where the batter stands while waiting for the pitcher to throw the ball. A runner must touch home plate to score a run. The diamond itself has four bases, including home plate, positioned 90 feet apart. The game involves two teams alternating between fielding and batting, with the objective of scoring runs by advancing around the bases. Home plate is embedded flush in the ground and is a crucial element of the playing field.12

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baseball
Play of the game
…faces the base designated as home plate, where a batter, holding a formed stick (a bat), waits for him to throw a hard leather-covered ball. The goal of the batter is to hit the ball out of the reach of the fielders and eventually (most often with the help of…
Read More
…faces the base designated as home plate, where a batter, holding a formed stick (a bat), waits for him to throw a hard leather-covered ball. The goal of the batter is to hit the ball out of the reach of the fielders and eventually (most often with the help of…
Read More