Inning

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In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, [1] the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other team playing defense. [2] A full baseball game is typically scheduled for nine innings, while softball games consist of seven innings, although this may be shortened due to weather, or extended if the score is tied at the end of the scheduled innings. The use of the term inning in baseball and softball contrasts with cricket and rounders, in which the term is innings in both singular and plural.

Contents

Gameplay

Each half-inning formally starts when the umpire calls "Play" or "Play ball". A full inning consists of six outs, three for each team, and, in Major League Baseball and most other adult leagues, a regulation game consists of nine innings. The visiting team bats in the first half-inning, the top of the inning, derived from the position of the visiting team at the top line of a baseball line score. The home team's half of an inning is the bottom of the inning, and the break between halves of an inning is the middle of the inning. If the home team is leading after the top half of the final scheduled inning, or scores to take the lead in the bottom of the final scheduled inning, the game immediately ends in a home victory.

In most leagues, if the score is tied after the final scheduled inning, the game goes into extra innings until an inning ends with one team ahead of the other. In Japanese baseball, however, games end if tied after twelve innings (or, in postseason play in Nippon Professional Baseball, fifteen innings). For the 2011 and 2012 NPB season, a game also ended in a tie if a regular-season game has reached its 3-hour, 30-minute time limit, and both teams are tied. As in the case of the ninth inning, a home team which scores to take a lead in any extra inning automatically wins, and the inning (and the game) is considered complete at that moment regardless of the number of outs. This is commonly referred to as a "walk-off" situation since the last play results in the teams walking off the field because the game is over. However, road teams cannot earn a "walk-off" victory by scoring the go-ahead run in extra innings, unlike in ice hockey where the team (either home or away) scoring first in overtime automatically wins.

A baseball game can be shorter than scheduled innings if it is interrupted by rain (or other bad weather). Such a game is said to be rained out, and is often preceded by a rain delay, a pause in the game during which the umpires will try to determine if the weather will allow the game to continue. If so, the game will simply be delayed until the rain stops, and then play will resume. If not, the umpires will announce a rainout and play will be suspended for the day. The game may have to be replayed in its entirety at a later date, but under certain circumstances, a game shortened because of rain can count as an official game, and the team that was ahead at the time the game was called will be awarded the win. [3]

Professional baseball games [4] as well as college baseball games are scheduled for nine innings. [5] Softball games [6] [7] and high school baseball games [8] are scheduled for seven innings, as are some minor league baseball doubleheaders. [9] Major League doubleheaders comprised scheduled seven inning games during the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to the COVID pandemic, but returned to nine innings in 2022. [10] College games may be shortened to seven innings if one team's score is ahead by a minimum of ten runs, or as part of a doubleheader. [5] Little League games are scheduled for six innings and may be shortened further (auto-forfeit) if a team has an overwhelming scoring lead. [11]

Terminology

Ending a half-inning is referred to as "retiring the side". A half-inning in which all batters are put out without taking a base is referred to as a "one-two-three inning". The number of innings a pitcher is in a game is measured by the innings pitched statistic.

In US English, baseball terminology is sometimes found in non-sports usage in a tense situation: "it's the bottom of the ninth [inning]" (sometimes adding, "with two outs"), meaning "there isn't much time to turn things around here".

Related Research Articles

A mercy rule, slaughter rule, knockout rule, or skunk rule ends a two-competitor sports competition earlier than the scheduled endpoint if one competitor has a very large and presumably insurmountable scoring lead over the other. It is called the mercy rule because it spares further humiliation for the loser. It is common in youth sports in North America, where running up the score is considered unsporting. It is especially common in baseball and softball in which there is no game clock and a dominant team could in theory continue an inning endlessly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No-hitter</span> Baseball game in which a team does not record a hit

In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine complete innings recorded no hits. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is thereby said to have "thrown a no-hitter". In most cases, no-hitters are recorded by a single pitcher who throws a complete game; one thrown by two or more pitchers is a combined no-hitter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extra innings</span> Extended play of baseball

Extra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baseball rules</span>

Throughout baseball's history, the rules have frequently changed as the game continues to evolve. A few common rules most professional leagues have in common are that four balls are a base on balls, three strikes are a strikeout, and three outs end a half-inning.

In rare cases, baseball games are forfeited, usually when a team is no longer able to play. Although not uncommon in baseball's early days, forfeits are now rare. There have been only five forfeits in Major League Baseball (MLB) since 1954; the last forfeit was in 1995, and prior to that, 1979. Since 1914, there has only been one incident where a team deliberately made a decision to forfeit a game, by the 1977 Baltimore Orioles.

The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League-affiliated prospects. From the inaugural 1999 event through 2018, teams of prospects from the United States faced off against teams of prospects from other countries.

Rainout, washout, rain delay, and rain stopped play are terms regarding an outdoor event, generally a sporting event, delayed or canceled due to rain, or the threat of rain. It is not to be confused with a type of out in baseball, though a baseball game can be rained out. Delays due to other forms of weather are named "snow delay", "lightning delay", "thunderstorm delay", or "fog delay", while there are many other effects of weather on sport. Also, a night game can be delayed if the floodlight system fails. Often spectators will be issued a ticket for a make up event, known as a "rain check".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doubleheader (baseball)</span> Two baseball games between the same two teams on the same day

In the sport of baseball, a doubleheader is a set of two games played between the same two teams on the same day. Historically, doubleheaders have been played in immediate succession, in front of the same crowd. Contemporarily, the term is also used to refer to two games played between two teams in a single day in front of different crowds and not in immediate succession.

In baseball, an official game is a game where nine innings have been played, except when the game is scheduled with fewer innings, extra innings are required to determine a winner, or the game must be stopped before nine innings have been played, e.g. due to inclement weather. The term "official game" is mainly used in the context of a game that is stopped before nine innings have been played, though it has been used for other promotional purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suspended game</span> Baseball contest stopped to be resumed at a later date

A suspended game in baseball occurs when a game has to be stopped before it can be completed, and the game is meant to be finished at a later time or date. Suspended games are used in Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, and may also be used at other levels of play depending on league or tournament rules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 World Series</span> 104th edition of Major League Baseballs championship series

The 2008 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2008 season. The 104th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Philadelphia Phillies and the American League (AL) champion Tampa Bay Rays; the Phillies won the series, four games to one. The 2008 World Series is notable because it is the only World Series to involve a mid-game postponement and resumption.

The 1972 Detroit Tigers won the American League East championship with a record of 86–70 (.551), finishing one-half game ahead of the Boston Red Sox. They played one more game than the Red Sox due to a scheduling quirk caused by the 1972 Major League Baseball strike—a game which turned out to allow them to win the division. They lost the 1972 American League Championship Series to the Oakland A's three games to two.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 American League Central tie-breaker game</span> 2009 Major League Baseball tie-breaker game

The 2009 American League Central tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2009 regular season, played between the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins to determine the champion of the American League's (AL) Central Division. It was played at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on October 6, 2009. The Twins won the game 6–5 in a thrilling 12-inning battle, and advanced to the 2009 AL Division Series where they were swept by the New York Yankees; the Tigers failed to qualify for the postseason.

The 1959 National League tie-breaker series was a best-of-three playoff series that extended Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1959 regular season to decide the winner of the National League (NL) pennant. The tiebreaker series was necessary after the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Braves finished the season with identical win–loss records of 86–68 (.558) on Sunday, September 27, three games ahead of the San Francisco Giants. It was the first tie-breaker in the majors in eight years, also in the National League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 American League Championship Series</span> 49th edition of Major League Baseballs American League Championship Series

The 2018 American League Championship Series was a best-of-seven series pitting the defending World Series champion Houston Astros against the Boston Red Sox, for the American League (AL) pennant and the right to play in the 2018 World Series. The series was played in a 2–3–2 format, with the first two and last two games played at the home ballpark of the team with the better regular season record, the Red Sox. The series was the 49th in league history, with TBS televising all games in the United States. The Red Sox defeated the Astros in five games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Chicago Cubs season</span> Major League Baseball team season

The 2020 Chicago Cubs season was the 149th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 145th in the National League and the Cubs' 105th season at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by David Ross, in his first year as Cubs manager, and played their home games at Wrigley Field as members of Major League Baseball's National League Central. The Cubs opened the season on July 24 against the Milwaukee Brewers and finished the season on the road against the Chicago White Sox.

On July 4, 1985, the New York Mets beat the Atlanta Braves 16–13 in a 19-inning Major League Baseball contest that featured Keith Hernandez hitting for the cycle, Mets manager Davey Johnson being ejected, and the Braves coming back to tie the game twice in extra innings, most notably in the bottom of the 18th.

References

  1. ↑ Dickson, Paul (2009). The Dickson Baseball Dictionary. W. W. Norton & Company.
  2. ↑ "Rule 4.01 to 4.02; 4.00—Starting and Ending a Game" (PDF). Major League Baseball . Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  3. ↑ Baseball Explained by Phillip Mahony, McFarland Books, 2014. See www.baseballexplained.com Archived 2014-08-13 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ MLB Official Rules (PDF). Office of the Commissioner of Baseball. 2017. p. 84. ISBN   978-0-9961140-4-2 . Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  5. 1 2 NCAA Baseball Rules (PDF). NCAA: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2015–2016. p. 36. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 February 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  6. ↑ World Baseball Softball Confederation (2017). "1.2.1 Regulation Game". 2018 – 2021 FAST PITCH SOFTBALL PLAYING RULES (PDF). p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 October 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  7. ↑ NCAA Softball Rules. Indianapolis, Indiana: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2016–2017. p. 18.
  8. ↑ "NFHS Baseball Rules Book" (PDF). 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  9. ↑ "Minor Leagues On-the-Field". Minor League Baseball.com. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  10. ↑ "MLB Finalizes Rule Changes for 2022 Regular Season & Beyond". SI.com. Sports Illustrated. March 24, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022. MLB will be going back to full nine-inning doubleheaders - unlike the seven innings format the league employed during the 2020 season.
  11. ↑ "Official Rules of Little League-Level Baseball". Baseball Rules Academy. Retrieved 13 February 2018.

See also

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