A standard professional baseball game consists of nine innings , but there is no upper limit on how long a game can go if it remains tied. Games can extend into extra innings until one team has a higher score at the end of a complete inning.
Standard Game Length
In Major League Baseball (MLB), a regulation game is scheduled for nine innings, with each inning divided into a top half (visiting team bats) and a bottom half (home team bats). Each full inning requires six outs—three per team—to complete. This nine-inning structure has been standard since the 19th century and is used in most professional and college baseball games.
Extra Innings
If the score is tied after nine innings, the game continues into extra innings. There is no predetermined limit on how many extra innings can be played—games continue until one team leads at the end of a completed inning. The longest recorded MLB game lasted 26 innings, demonstrating that games can extend significantly under tie conditions. Since 2020, MLB has implemented a rule where each half-inning in extra innings begins with a runner on second base to help speed up the resolution of tied games.
Variations by League
The number of innings varies across different levels of play:
- High school baseball : Typically seven innings.
- Little League (youth) : Usually six innings.
- Doubleheaders in MLB and minor leagues : Often consist of two seven-inning games to manage player workload and scheduling.
- Softball : Generally seven innings.
Shortened Games
A game may be considered official and end before nine innings under certain conditions. If weather or other factors interrupt play, a game is official after five innings (or 4.5 if the home team is ahead). Additionally, some leagues use a "mercy rule," ending the game early if one team has a substantial lead (e.g., 10 or more runs after five or seven innings) to prevent lopsided outcomes and reduce player fatigue.
In summary, while nine innings is standard, a baseball game can theoretically go on indefinitely in extra innings until a winner
