An inning is a basic unit of play in baseball, consisting of two halves: the top and the bottom. In the top half, the visiting team bats and tries to score runs, while the home team fields and tries to prevent runs. In the bottom half, the roles are reversed.
The number of innings in a baseball game is important because it determines how long the game lasts and how many chances each team has to score. In this article, we will explore how many innings are in official baseball games in New Zealand.
How Many Innings Are in Official Baseball Games in New Zealand?
A professional baseball game has nine innings of regular play, with each team having 27 outs to use. This means that there are three outs per inning. If a game after the ninth inning is a tie, the game goes into extra innings to determine a winner.
The number of innings in official baseball games in New Zealand is similar to other countries that play baseball, such as the USA, Japan, and Australia. However, there may be some differences in the rules and regulations that govern the number of innings.
Exceptions to the Rule
There are general exceptions where games can end before nine innings, like if there is a rain out and the match meets the minimum requirement to be an official game. For example, if a game is stopped due to inclement weather before it reaches nine innings, it can still be considered an official game if it meets certain criteria. If you’re watching or playing Wellington Baseball, you can expect a professional baseball game to have nine innings of play. If the game is tied after these nine innings, the game will go into extra innings to determine a winner.
What is an inning and how many innings are there in baseball?
In baseball, an inning is a segment of a game. Each inning consists of two parts, where both teams take turns in batting to try and score runs, as well as pitching and fielding to defend runs from being scored. There are commonly 9 innings in a baseball game.
Innings in classic baseball games
Classic baseball games typically have nine innings, so each team has nine chances to bat and nine chances to defend the field.
Innings in World Baseball Classic games
Like classic baseball games, there are nine innings in the World Baseball Classic games. However, it is possible for there to be more innings in the case of a tie.
Innings in Little League baseball
In little league baseball, there are usually six innings, however this may be different depending on the age group and league.
Innings in Minor League baseball
There are commonly nine innings in minor league baseball. Extra innings can occur in the if there is a tie.
Innings played in a Major League Baseball Game
There are nine innings in Major League Baseball games. Again, extra innings may occur if the teas are tied at the end of the ninth inning.
Innings in baseball playoffs
There are nine innings in baseball playoff games, with the possibility of going into extra innings when there is a tie.
Innings in baseball when a tie occurs
When a tie occurs in classic baseball games, there are extra innings until one of the teams wins. There is no set limit to how many extra innings there can be because the game will continue until there is a definite winner at the end of an inning.
The format of extra innings can be a little different depending on the league and tournament. For instance, when a tie occurs in the World Baseball Classic games, they play a ‘Tiebreaker’ format where the batting team begins with a player on second base.
How Do Innings Work?
Each of the nine innings are divided into two parts: the top and the bottom half.
Top, Middle and Bottom innings
The top of the inning is when the visiting team is at bat and on offence. This is when they have the opportunity to get their players around the bases and score runs. Their players have the chance to score as many runs as possible until they have three outs. Once the team at bat has received three outs, the top of the inning is over.
The middle of the inning refers to the transition between the top half and the bottom half, when the first half has just been completed and the second one is about to start.
The bottom of the inning is the second half of the inning and the home team is now batting. Just like the top of the inning, the home team now has the opportunity to score as many runs as possible before getting three outs. Once they have received three outs, the bottom of the inning, as well as that whole inning, is over.
Ninth Inning
The ninth inning is the final inning of a standard nine-inning game. It is the last chance for both teams to get players around the bases, hit home-runs and score runs.
It is an exciting time of the game, because the team in the lead is trying to get three outs as quickly as possible to prevent the losing team from scoring runs and taking the win. The ninth inning is important, and thrilling, as it is the time for unexpected comebacks and impressive defensive skills.
Extra Innings
When teams are tied at the end of the ninth inning, they usually play extra innings to determine a winner.
Each extra inning follows the same format as the first nine innings with each team having a chance at bat, and a chance in the outfield. The game will continue, and there will continue to be extra innings until there is a winner at the end of a complete inning.
It is important to note that the format and rules around extra innings can change depending on the tournament and league.
Rainouts
A rainout refers to a situation where a scheduled baseball game cannot occur because of weather conditions. There are a few different ways to handle a rainout:
- Reschedule the game – Reschedule the game to a later date.
- Venue change – The scheduled game may be moved to a different stadium, or an indoor venue if that is an option.
- Suspension – A suspension happens when the game has already begun, but then weather conditions prevent the teams from being able to finish the game. Rather than officially canceling the game, the game will be suspended and completed at a later date.
- Official cancellation – If the teams are unable to reschedule the game at a later date, that game will be officially cancelled and will not be a part of the teams’ statistics for that season.
Length of a baseball inning
The length of an inning depends on how long it takes each team to reach three outs. A team is at bat until they get three outs. Once the team at bat reaches three outs, the teams switch from offence to defence, and this marks the start of the second half of the inning. This means that the length of innings can vary drastically, and the two halves within one inning can also vary in length.
Number of outs in an inning
There are a total of six outs in an inning, as each team is at bat until they get three outs.
There are a number of ways to get a player out. Some of the most common ways are:
- Strike out – this occurs when the batter has three strikes. A strike occurs when the batter swings and misses the baseball, or does not hit the ball within the fair play territory.
- A catch – A player in the outfield catches the ball before it touches the ground
- A baserunner is tagged out – A player has to get around all 4 bases in order to score a run. When running between bases, the team in the outfield can tag them out. The players are safe when they are touching a base, but can be tagged out when they are not touching a base.
A baserunner is forced out – No two players can be on the same base. Therefore, a player must continue to the next base to make room for the next player. If the player does not proceed to the next base, they are out. Or, if a player on the defensive team with the ball touches that base before the runner does, the runner is out.
