How B5 is Changing Baseball Forever

November 12, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Pre-match briefing
Hello and welcome to the very first edition of The Gameplan

Each week, you can expect to receive curated content on fun stories and insights from the sporting world. Whether it's a new niche sport or highlights from the World Cup, you'll always find something worth your time.

Also, our scout has been doing some digging, so look out for the Scout’s Overview section in which we’ll uncover the:

  • Athlete of the week: David Weir

  • Venue of the week: Lord’s

  • Kit of the week: Venezia FC 2022/23

  • Sport of the week: Bossaball

Kick-off
⚾️ Reinventing the Game: How B5 is Changing Baseball Forever

Imagine a version of baseball where every hit counts, every moment is fast-paced, and you don’t even need a pitcher - or a diamond - to play. Well, that’s exactly what Baseball5 (B5) is.

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) introduced B5 to “increase accessibility to Baseball and bring baseball to places it was not possible before”.

The major differences are:

  • The game's pace is faster because the 'pitcher' concept has been removed. Now, the batter hits the ball themselves, and every ball is in play. 

  • The game does not need to be played on a designated baseball diamond, it can be played anywhere.

  • There are five players per team and no equipment is needed (apart from a ball).

These optimistic changes, along with WBSC’s emphasis on the new sport have led to two things:

A new market and a surge in popularity: B5 is mostly played in South American countries where baseball was not, and it is now appealing to youth in these urban areas who participate more in this new discipline.

The WBSC invented B5 also to increase the odds that a sport similar to baseball and softball will be played in the Olympics. B5 is meant to contribute to the ultimate goal of having a billion fans in the baseball-softball community by 2030.

With B5 gaining traction globally, traditional baseball may see some of its conventions challenged. Could we see elements of B5 incorporated into Major League Baseball to attract younger audiences? The WBSC’s vision for B5 goes beyond accessibility; it’s about redefining what it means to play baseball in the 21st century.

Will this evolution create a new era for baseball? Or will it remain a niche discipline alongside its traditional counterpart?

If you want to see how B5 is played, check out this match.

Scout’s Overview
📡 🚨 Weekly Sports Radar: Bossaball

Bossaball is a Brazilian team sport that mixes football and volleyball with trampolines. Played on an inflatable court with trampolines on either side of a net, two teams of four compete to ground the ball on their opponent's side.

How to score points in Bossaball:

  • 1 Point if you shoot with your hand and the ball lands in the opponent's area

  • 3 Points if you shoot with your hand and the ball lands directly in the opponent's trampoline

  • 3 Points if you hit the ball with anything but your hand, and it lands in the opponent's area

  • 5 Points if you hit the ball with anything but your hand, and it lands directly in the opponent's trampoline

Athlete of the week: David Weir

Venue of the week: Lord’s Ground

David Weir is a British Paralympic athlete renowned for his achievements in wheelchair racing.

We chose David Weir because he’s a living legend—one of the most decorated Paralympians, with six gold medals and an unbreakable spirit that’s redefined wheelchair racing.

Lord's Cricket Ground, known as the "Home of Cricket," is an iconic cricket venue in London, England.

With over two centuries of heritage, Lord's isn't just a stadium—it's where cricket's soul resides, widely known as the oldest cricket venue in the world!

🧤 Fit Check: Venezia FC 2022-23 Special Edition Kit

Venezia is a football team that plays in the highest division of Italian football. Last season, they released this special edition kit which dropped many jaws.

Send us your suggestions for next week’s fit check!

From the bench
🗞️ In case you were injured:

🎯 In over-time:

📊 Analyst’s corner:

  • Lacrosse leads the way: in a survey conducted on emerging sports, Lacrosse saw an impressive 99% recognition rate and an 87% rate of understanding among sports fans.

  • Padel grows ever so fast: According to Playtomic’s global padel report, there will be approximately 85,000 courts worldwide by 2026

Happy Tuesday everyone, and I hope to see you next week in The Gameplan.

If you enjoyed reading The Gameplan, consider forwarding it to your friends & family! If you have some ideas, email us at [email protected].

Signing out,
Wasay (brother #2)

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