World Baseball Classic Rules

Last updated February 25, 2024

Table introducing The World Baseball Classic Rules

Eligibility

In addition to the standard rules of baseball, the World Baseball Classic employs the following additional rules:

The player is a citizen of the nation the team represents.
The player is qualified for citizenship or to hold a passport under the laws of a nation represented by a team, but has not been granted citizenship or been issued a passport; in this case, the player may be made eligible by World Baseball Classic Inc. ^{[ clarification needed ]} upon petition by the player or team.
The player is a permanent legal resident of the nation or territory the team represents.
The player was born in the nation or territory the team represents.
The player has one parent who is, or if deceased was, a citizen of the nation the team represents.
The player has one parent who was born in the nation or territory the team represents.^[2]

Pitch counts

A pitcher cannot pitch more than:

85 pitches per game in the Qualifying Round (all tournaments since 2013, when this round was introduced)
65 pitches per game in the First Round (all tournaments except 2009, in which the limit was 70)
80 pitches per game in the Second Round (all tournaments except 2009, in which the limit was 85)
95 pitches per game in the Championship Round (all tournaments except 2009, in which the limit was 100)

A pitcher can still finish a batter's plate appearance even if the limit is reached, but must come out after completing the plate appearance.

A pitcher cannot pitch until:

a minimum of four days have passed since he last pitched, if he threw 50 or more pitches when he last pitched
a minimum of one day has passed since he last pitched, if he threw 30 or more pitches when he last pitched
a minimum of one day has passed since any second consecutive day on which the pitcher pitched

Mercy rules

To prevent one-sided contests, games are ended early if one team is ahead by:

10 or more runs after any complete inning, beginning with the completion of the seventh inning, or;
15 or more runs after any complete inning, beginning with the completion of the fifth inning^[3]

These mercy rules do not apply during the knockout stage.^[4]

Designated hitter

The designated hitter rule applies for all games.^[5]

Extra innings

From 2009 through 2017, starting with the 11th inning, teams automatically start with runners on first and second base.^[6] The baserunners are the players in the two batting order positions previous to the leadoff batter for the inning (or substitutes called in to pinch-run for those players). Organizers put this rule in place starting with the 2009 tournament, although originally, it did not come into effect until the 13th inning.^[7] The intention behind the rule is to help ensure extra-inning games end in as timely a manner as possible, reducing the chance of seeing marathon extra-inning games that place undue strain on players, particularly pitchers.^[8] As no extra-inning games in either the 2009 or 2013 WBCs reached the point where the rule came into play, it took until the 2017 WBC for it to affect a game's outcome. There were three such games in 2017, and all three were decided in the 11th inning.

In 2023, the rule was changed to bring the WBC in line with Major League Baseball. The 2023 World Baseball Classic rules and regulations reads: "For any inning beginning with the 10th inning, the Federation Team at bat shall begin the inning with a runner on second base. The batter who leads off an inning shall continue to be the batter who would lead off the inning in the absence of this extra-innings rule. The runner on second base shall be the player (or a substitute for such player) in the batting order immediately preceding the batter who leads off the inning."^[9]

Video replay review

Beginning in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, video review is available for all situations as it would be during a Major League Baseball regular season game.^[9]

Run differential

Unlike regular season play, where the number of runs by which a team wins a game is not relevant, the number of runs by which a WBC team wins may be relevant if a tie later develops in the standings. In such cases, teams are ranked by their Team Quality Balance, which rewards them for scoring by as many runs as possible, and for winning with as few of their batters getting out as possible when batting in the bottom of the inning.^[10] This caused problems during the 2013 WBC, where one game spawned a bench-clearing brawl between the Canadian and Mexican teams (Canadian hitter Chris Robinson had bunted for a base hit after Canada had already taken a large lead, causing Mexican pitcher Arnold Leon to throw three consecutive pitches at the next hitter, Rene Tosoni).

These tiebreakers were changed starting in the 2017 WBC to be "fewest runs allowed per inning of defense in head-to-head games", which still places an emphasis on scoring as many runs as possible (whilst also allowing the fewest runs as possible).

Related Research Articles

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding team, called the pitcher, throws a ball that a player on the batting team, called the batter, tries to hit with a bat. The objective of the offensive team is to hit the ball into the field of play, away from the other team's players, allowing its players to run the bases, having them advance counter-clockwise around four bases to score what are called "runs". The objective of the defensive team is to prevent batters from becoming runners, and to prevent runners' advance around the bases. A run is scored when a runner legally advances around the bases in order and touches home plate.

Softball is a sport similar to baseball, and it is played with a larger ball on a smaller field and with only underhand pitches permitted. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hancock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perfect game (baseball)</span> Baseball game in which at least one team has no baserunners

In baseball, a perfect game is a game in which one or more pitchers complete a minimum of nine innings with no batter from the opposing team reaching any base. To achieve a perfect game, a team must not allow any opposing player to reach base by any means: no hits, walks, hit batsmen, uncaught third strikes, catcher's interference, fielder's obstruction, or fielding errors which allow a batter to reach base.

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

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

The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament, sanctioned from 2006 to 2013 by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and after 2013 by World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) through the World Baseball Classic Inc. The winning team is awarded the World Baseball Classic Championship Trophy. After 2023 World Baseball Classic, this tournament has become the most popular baseball competition in the world, overtaking the World Series.

The South African national baseball team is the baseball team which represents the Republic of South Africa in international baseball competitions such as the World Baseball Classic and the Summer Olympics. The governing body of the team is the South African Baseball Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canada national baseball team</span> National sports team

The Canada national baseball team represents Canada in international baseball. They are overseen by Baseball Canada, the governing body of baseball in Canada.

The 2006 World Baseball Classic championship was the inaugural final of the World Baseball Classic played on March 20, 2006, at Petco Park in San Diego, United States. The best-of-one final was the match to determine the first world champion in baseball. Although this was the first iteration of the World Baseball Classic, both Cuba and Japan were favorites to win the championship, as they were the only countries to have appeared in the top four at every iteration in the Summer Olympics up to this final. Japan won by 4 runs to claim the first championship of the World Baseball Classic.

The 2006 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was the inaugural tournament between national baseball teams that included players from Major League Baseball. It was held from March 3 to 20 in stadiums in or around Tokyo, Japan; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Lake Buena Vista, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; Scottsdale, Arizona; Anaheim, California; and San Diego, California.

The Netherlands national baseball team is the national baseball team of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, representing the country in international men's baseball. They are currently ranked as the best team in the WBSC Europe, and the team is also ranked seventh in the WBSC World Rankings.

The Italy national baseball team represents Italy in international baseball competitions. The Italian national team was ranked 16th in the world as of 2022. The team is managed by Mike Piazza, a former New York Mets player and Major League Baseball Hall of Fame inductee.

The 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international baseball competition. It began on March 5 and finished March 23.

The 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, composed of 16 competing nations, held from March 6 to 22, 2017. It was the fourth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. The first-round hosts were Seoul, Tokyo, Miami, and Zapopan. The second-round hosts were Tokyo and San Diego, and the championship round was played in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bat-and-ball games</span> Field games played by two opposing teams

Bat-and-ball games are field games played by two opposing teams. Action starts when the defending team throws a ball at a dedicated player of the attacking team, who tries to hit it with a bat and run between various safe areas in the field to score runs (points). The defending team can use the ball in various ways against the attacking team's players to force them off the field when they are not in safe zones, and thus prevent them from further scoring. The best known modern bat-and-ball games are cricket and baseball, with common roots in the 18th-century games played in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel national baseball team</span>

The Israel National Baseball Team represents Israel in international competitions. It is managed by Ian Kinsler.

The 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, held from March 2 to 19, 2013. This was the third iteration of the WBC, following the two previous tournaments, held in 2006 and 2009.

The qualifying round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic was held from September 19 to November 19, 2012. Although the 2006 and 2009 editions of the World Baseball Classic were contested by the same pre-selected field of 16 teams, for the 2013 tournament only the 12 teams that won at least one game in 2009 were guaranteed a berth in the main tournament. The other four contested the qualifying round along with 12 additional teams invited by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF).

The qualifying Round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic was held from February 11 to September 25, 2016. Teams which participated at the 2013 World Baseball Classic were automatically qualified for the 2017 tournament except the four nations which ended up last in their respective groups: Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and Spain had to play in the qualifiers along with 12 other national teams. 16 teams participated, divided into four groups of four teams each. The winners of each of the four groups qualified for the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport that has many recreational variants. The major sport most related to baseball is the Olympic discipline of softball, with the two sports being administered internationally alongside Baseball5 by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.

References

↑ "World Baseball Classic Qualifier Rules and Regulations". Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
↑ "Dan Serafini Wins One For Team Italy". March 10, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
↑ "Rules". World Baseball Classic.
↑ "World Baseball Classic rule guide: Pitch count, mercy rules, DH". RSN. February 16, 2023.
↑ "World Baseball Classic: About - Rules". Archived from the original on February 9, 2013.
↑ "About World Baseball Classic". worldbaseballclassic.com. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
↑ "WBC adopts extra-inning rule". ESPN. Associated Press. January 30, 2009.
↑ Baer, Bill (March 21, 2017). "WBC's extra-innings rule cheapens Puerto Rico's win, sadly". NBCSports.com.
1 2 "2023 World Baseball Classic rules and regulations". MLB.com.
↑ "Major changes coming to international baseball and softball, World Cups". wbsc.org. Retrieved January 2, 2021. Following the WBSC World Cup/Tournament Commission's recommendation, the team with the best Team Quality Balance (TQB) will advance or place higher in the final standings. The TQB is calculated this way: runs scored/inning played at bat-runs allowed/innings playing on defense.

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[1] "World Baseball Classic Qualifier Rules and Regulations". Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2013.

[2] "Dan Serafini Wins One For Team Italy". March 10, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2009.

[3] "Rules". World Baseball Classic.

[4] "World Baseball Classic rule guide: Pitch count, mercy rules, DH". RSN. February 16, 2023.

[5] "World Baseball Classic: About - Rules". Archived from the original on February 9, 2013.

[6] "About World Baseball Classic". worldbaseballclassic.com. Retrieved October 12, 2013.

[7] "WBC adopts extra-inning rule". ESPN. Associated Press. January 30, 2009.

[8] Baer, Bill (March 21, 2017). "WBC's extra-innings rule cheapens Puerto Rico's win, sadly". NBCSports.com.

[2023rules-9] 1 2 "2023 World Baseball Classic rules and regulations". MLB.com.

[10] "Major changes coming to international baseball and softball, World Cups". wbsc.org. Retrieved January 2, 2021. Following the WBSC World Cup/Tournament Commission's recommendation, the team with the best Team Quality Balance (TQB) will advance or place higher in the final standings. The TQB is calculated this way: runs scored/inning played at bat-runs allowed/innings playing on defense.

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