Can Baseball End in a Draw
In baseball, extra innings occur when the score remains tied at the end of the 9th inning. The rules in extra innings are different throughout leagues and levels of competition, but the premise remains the same: determining the winner of the game.
In baseball, there is no game clock. Instead, games consist of innings with two parts, each called half-innings. The top half of each inning is where the away team bats, while the home team bats in the bottom-half. Each half-inning ends when three outs are recorded by the fielding team.
If the score remains tied at the end of the ninth inning, additional innings known as extra innings take place. These extra innings are held in the same format as any other inning in a game of baseball, with the road team batting first and the home team batting second.
Extra innings will continue until the away team has more runs at the end of the bottom-half of an inning, or the home team scores a game-winning run during the bottom of an inning. If the home team takes the lead in the bottom half of an extra inning, the rest of the inning does not have to be played and the game is over. Since there are no ties in baseball, there is no limit to the number of extra innings that can be played. They continue until a team can be declared the winner.
The MLB implemented the new extra innings format for regular season games before the start of the 2020 season. Prior to this rule change, the game just continued on into the 10th inning in the same way it did every inning before that. However, with the rule change, each half inning now starts with a runner already on second base.
The batting team has no say in what player goes to second to start the inning; the last batter to record an out in the prior inning takes second. This is supposed to provide both teams with an equal opportunity to score runs, while also increasing the likelihood of the game ending sooner.
This had previously been experimented in certain minor leagues before the MLB decided to officially change their extra innings format. The new extra inning format has remained in place for the 2021 season and onward.
In 2021, the NCAA followed MLB's lead by establishing the same extra innings format. Each half inning begins with a runner on second base and no outs. Similar to MLB, the runner to begin the inning at second base is whoever made the last out batting in the previous inning.
For games during the World Baseball Classic, extra innings begin with a similar format to the previous MLB rules. However, if the score is tied after the 10th inning, any at-bat in the 11th inning or later will begin with runners on first base and second base. The runners on base will always be the last batters to get out from the previous at-bat. This format is designed to speed up extra innings to determine the winning team more quickly.
FAQ
What was the longest baseball game ever?
The longest game in professional baseball featured the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings, and lasted a whopping 33 innings on April 18, 1981. The Red Sox won the game 3-2. Another long game featuring the Brooklyn Robins versus the Boston Braves on May 20, 1920 lasted 26 innings and ended in a called game by the umpire due to weather conditions. The score was 1-1.
Yes, the extra innings rule remains the same. However, MLB introduced the concept of 7-inning doubleheader games in 2020. This means extra innings begin if the game is tied after the 7th inning, instead of going to the usual 9 innings.
When a home team wins in the bottom of an extra inning, you may notice the opposing team's players walking off the field while the home team's players rush the field to celebrate. This display is what is known as a "walk-off." Walk-offs can occur from pretty much any play, as long as it scores the go ahead run for the home team in the ninth inning or extra innings.
Source: https://www.rookieroad.com/baseball/rules-and-regulations/extra-innings/
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