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Beep Ball

Beep ball is audible softball for the blind. It is played with a ball that has a beeper embedded in it. The beeper makes a loud sound which the players use to locate the ball to hit and field. Pitchers and catchers are sighted; all other players, whether impaired or not, are blindfolded. In the United States, the sport is organized by the National Beep Baseball Association.

It's three outs per inning, and a ball that clears the outfield perimeter at 180 feet is a home run. In beep baseball there are only six players per side, all blindfolded.

Also, there are only two bases and each is a four-foot padded cylinder with their own loud horns. The bases are 100 feet down their baselines. In order that the players can hear the ball and the bases, spectators must be quiet during the play. All cheering is reserved for when a play is completed. Another difference is that both the pitcher and the catcher are sighted and are part of the offensive team.

On each side of the field is a sighted spotter who, once the ball is put in play, calls out a number indicating the general direction to which the ball has been hit.

Before each pitch, the pitcher calls "ready" to alert the batter and those in the field that the ball is about to be released. As he begins his pitch the pitcher calls out "ball." The batter then times their swing at the beeping ball. When a good connects an official throws causes first base to sound with a loud buzzer. The batter must quickly identify the direction in which to run and, in order to score, must reach the base before the ball is fielded and held up by the defensive player.

Many teams have players with batting averages above .500, but playing defense is the most challenging part of the game. Good defensive players use their bodies to block and trap balls against the ground. There is a lot of athleticism and the competition is fierce. Sighted people tend to walk away from a game with a new appreciation for what blindness is all about.

The Tucson home team is the Southwest Slammers. We'll have the link to their site when it's up and running (soon) but in the meantime email Daniel Green for more information on their game and practice schedules.