Baseball5

Baseball5 takes baseball and softball to previously inaccessible areas as only a rubber ball is needed to play.

This means that there is no need to go to a baseball or softball field - in fact any area can be utilised.

No pitcher or bats are needed as hitting is done by hand.

The sport's name comes as five inning games are played, with five active players per team.

The distance between bases is 13 metres.

The World Baseball Softball Confederation unveiled Baseball5 in March 2018 and has worked to spread it around the world.

Baseball5 will now appear as a medal sport at the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar in Senegal in 2026.

An inaugural World Cup was held in Mexico in 2022.

Youth Baseball5 World Cups will be held which will serve as qualifiers for the Youth Olympic Games. 

It will also appear on the programme at the 2022 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Thailand, which has been delayed to November 2023.

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Baseball5 World Cup

The inaugural edition of the Baseball5 World Cup took place in Mexico City between November 7 and 13, 2022.

Cuba were the first winners after beating Japan 2-0 in the final.

The event used a mixed format, meaning men and women competed together.

Twelve teams took part at the Zócalo, the main square in Mexico City.

The hosts were placed in Group A with Cuba, Hong Kong, Japan, Lithuania and South Africa.

Group B consisted of France, Kenya, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Tunisia and Venezuela.

The top three countries from each group advanced to the super round, where they played the teams they had not met from the other group.

Points from the group stage accrued against other super round teams carried over.

The WBSC held qualifiers across the world to decide the teams for the first World Cup.

NFT prizes were handed out to the winners, in addition to medals and trophies.

This followed the signing of a deal between the WBSC and LEVERADE.

An inaugural Youth Baseball5 World Cup will take place in Turkey in October 2023.