Over-the-line is a game related to  baseball and softball. Like those games, you have the batter, pitcher, and fielders. Because a game requires only three people per team, it's considerably easier to get a good informal game going. Gameplay, however, is very different.

An over-the-line court is made up of a rope triangle staked out on sand. The base of the triangle is 55 feet long, and the distance from the base to the opposite point (which is the location of home) is also 55 feet. Two parallel ropes extend out from either corner of the triangle adjacent to the base and at right angles to it. The base of the triangle is called "The Line". The open-ended rectangle between the parallel ropes and behind The Line is fair territory, which extends to infinity.

A hit is made when the ball is knocked over the line into fair territory and hits the ground without being caught. A hit may also be made when the fielder who catches the ball crosses over the line or out of fair territory or drops the ball. Three hits in one inning scores one run. No bases are physically run, however. A fly ball hit past (not necessarily over his head, just past) the last player in fair territory without him touching it counts as a "home run". This will score at least one run plus however many hits have been made. The hit count is then set back to zero.

Over the line can also be played using half of a baseball field. There needs to be 6 to 8 people in order to play. A six person game will be split up into 3 teams of 2. One team plays outfield (left and left center), another in the infield (3rd base and shortstop), and offense (pitcher and hitter). One inning consists of all three teams rotating and getting a chance to bat. Pitcher and batter change after every at bat, until they get out three times.

The scoring system is as follows:

Strike - three strikes and you are out.

Foul ball - counts as a strike (a foul ball after 2 strikes is considered an out). Single - any hit that is bobbled by the infield or gets past the infield, but not past the outfield. Infielders have to stay on the dirt. A step on the grass is an automatic single.

Double - has to go past the infield and past either one of the outfielders.

Triple - rolls, bounces, or hits the fence without going over.

Home run- over the fence.

Ghost runners are kept track of and have to be forced in to count as a run. There is no running of the bases.