Home plate is a five-sided rubber slab located at the center of the baseball diamond. It serves as the final base that players must touch to score a run. The shape of home plate resembles a pentagon, with one side facing the pitcher's mound and the other four sides forming the edges of the base paths. In baseball, umpires use home plate to determine whether a pitch is a strike or a ball. Players must run from third base to home plate to complete their journey around the bases. Properly touching home plate is essential for scoring in a game.