In
baseball, the
batting order or
batting lineup is the sequence in which the nine members of the offense take their turns in
batting against the
pitcher. The batting order is the main component of a team's
offensive strategy. In
Major League Baseball, the batting order is set by the
manager, who before the game begins must present the home plate umpire with two copies of his team's
lineup card, a card on which a team's starting batting order is recorded. The home plate umpire keeps one copy of the lineup card of each team, and gives the second copy to the opposing manager. Once the home plate umpire gives the lineup cards to the opposing managers, the batting lineup is final and a manager can only make changes under the
Official Baseball Rules governing substitutions. If a team
bats out of order, it is a violation of baseball's rules and subject to penalty.