Created by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in 2018, Baseball5 is an adapted version of the sport, which in its traditional format, demands a series of equipment and a very large area for its practice. The new modality drastically reduces the needed game space and the number of players, in this version, the only required item is the ball.
The Confederation thus seeks to facilitate people's first contact with the sport, so that they can incorporate the basics of the game without having to invest in expensive player’s equipment such as gloves, bats and cleats for baseball and softball.
An interesting fact is that in countries where baseball is popular such as Cuba, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and Mexico - children's first pitches and hitting steps often take place on the streets, in an improvised manner and without any equipment. In a way, Baseball5 marks a sort of return to the sport’s roots, an attempt to bring baseball back to the neighborhoods and cities from where many MLB stars came from.
The first Baseball5 World Cup will take place from November 7 through November 13 in Mexico City, where 12 teams from 5 different continents will compete and decide which country will be the first world champion of this new modality.
Baseball5 World Cup Website
https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2022-baseball5-world-cup/home
Video featuring the new modality
New 5-inning, 5-on-5 Street "Baseball5" - WBSC Official Rules
Baseball on the streets of Havana
Cuatro Esquinas: The Basics of Street Baseball In Havana | Arrive Cuba
Redbull 4Skinas from Cuba (2011 event)
The Cuban version of baseball - Red Bull 4Skinas
