The WBSC Official Rules of Baseball 2023-2024 is the result of a two-development and review process which involved consultation with several of the sport's stakeholders.

"The creation of the first WBSC Official Rules of Baseball is an historic moment for our sport and our organisation and will be a new starting point for all WBSC baseball events moving forward," said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari.

"I am incredibly proud of the work that Gustavo [Rodriguez] and his team have done over the past two years to produce the rulebook.

"They have followed a diligent process and I am confident that everyone involved in baseball and our sport will benefit as a result."

Fraccari established a working group in 2021 chaired by WBSC umpire director Gustavo Rodriguez which also included umpires Carlos Rey and Edgar Estivison.

Scoring Commission member Oscar Izaguirre and other members from the Umpires, Scorers and Technical Commissions were also enlisted to help develop the rules.

The initial draft was presented and approved by the WBSC Congress in March 2022, and was then reviewed by WBSC members later in the year before its finalisation.

"I am very proud of the result," said Rodriguez.

"This is another example of the WBSC being responsible to all our member federations to provide clear and concise leadership.

"We made sure to include all levels of baseball that the WBSC have responsibility for from the U-12 to the Premier12 level.

"In the last few years, the official baseball rules included changes about replays and the use of the clock.

"We have the pitch counts for different levels and we have the bat requirements for each level.

"Our tournament regulations stated that we used the official baseball rules with exceptions. 

"Now we have our tournament regulations and our official baseball rules.

"All in one book.

"The dimensions of the field for each category, the pre-game routine for each category."

The rulebook is available in Spanish as well as English after being translated with help from representatives of the Mexican Baseball League.

It can be viewed here.