Pesapallo

Glossary of Games

Curated by Larry McCray and Jeffrey Kittel
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Game	Pesapallo
Game Family	Baseball Baseball
Location	Finland
Regions	Europe
Eras	Contemporary, Derivative, Post-1900
Invented	Yes
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Description	Pesapallo is “Finnish Baseball.” This invented game is based on American baseball, and on the traditional Finnish games kuningaspallo, pitkapallo, and poltopallo, and was introduced in 1922. Some call it Finland’s national game. Pesapallo  involves two 9-player teams, pitching via vertical toss from close to the batter, a zigzag basepath of progressive length [about 65 feet from home to first, about 150 feet from third to home], optional running with fewer than two strikes, a three-out-side-out rule, runners being either  “put out” or “wounded” (thus not counted as an out, and allowed to bat again), no ground-rule home runs, and four-inning games. Nations with sizable Finnish emigrants (Sweden, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) compete in the annual world cup of Pesapallo.
Sources	An introduction to the game is found at http://www.pesis.fi/pesapalloliitto/international_site/introduction_to_the_game/
Source Image	[[Image:|left|thumb]]
Comment	A diagram of the game can be found at https://sites.psu.edu/ballgamesoftheworld/ball-and-bat-games/ Pesapallo was a demonstration sport at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. [ba] Edit with form to add a comment
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