The Rules of 1845, as adopted by the Knickerbocker
Club, New York.
Section 1
The bases shall be from "home" to second base 42 paces;
from first to third base 42 paces equidistant.
Section 2
The game to consist of 21 counts or aces, but at the
conclusion an equal number of hands must be played.
Section 3
The ball must be pitched and not thrown for the bat.
Section 4
A ball knocked outside the range of the first or third base
is foul.
Section 5
Three balls being struck at and missed, and the last one
caught, is a hand out; if not caught, is considered fair,
and the striker bound to run.
Section 6
A ball being struck or tipped, and caught either flying or
on the first bound, is a hand out.
Section 7
A player, running the bases, shall be out, if the ball is
in the hands of an adversary on the base, as the runner is
touched by it before he makes his base-it being
under-stood, however, that in no instance is a ball to be
thrown at him.
Section 8
A player running, who shall prevent an adversary from
catching or getting the ball before making his base, is a
hand out.
Section 9
If two hands are already out, a player running home at the
time a ball is struck, can not make an ace if the striker
is caught out.
Section 10
Three hands out, all out.
Section 11
Players must take their strike in regular turn.
Section 12
No ace or base can be made on a foul strike.
Section 13
A runner can not be put out in making one base, when a balk
is made by the pitcher.
Section 14
But one base allowed when the ball bounds out of the field
when struck.
Interpretation Notes
* The transcript from the 1860 Beadle's differs from
another set found on Baseball-Almanac. It
appears Henry Chadwick edited out sections that
applied to the club and retained only rules for the
play on the field.
* Those who have played the 1845 game found it to be rather
exhausting. Skilled modern players tend to take a long time
to score 21 aces.
Places where these are the home rules.
Typically vintage base ball clubs will play 1845 rules for
special occasions. There are no regularly-scheduled games
of this type.
SOURCE: Beadle's Dime Base-ball Player (1860)

