As with all ancient sports nobody is really sure when rounders itself began, although it has been played in England in a similar form to nowadays since Tudor times. The first mention of rounders, along with its descendant baseball, is in a book from 1744 called 'A Little Pretty Pocket-Book'. There is still some dispute amongst Americans as to whether baseball is a descendant of rounders but only because they would like to think baseball was purely an American invention. However most scholars of sport discount this idea.

The first organisation associated with the sport of rounders was the Liverpool and Scottish Rounders Association, formed in 1889. The National Rounders Association was formed in 1943, designed to encourage and promote the game, this organisation is also responsible for the rules of the game and for training umpires.

Since its inception, the NRA has done much to encourage the game both inside and outside of schools with the formation of leagues across the country, which it still continues to do with the help of govenment backing. It has also helped to develop the game across the world with the supply of equipment and assistance so that this Tudor sport now has worldwide appeal.