How long is a major league baseball game

Baseball is unique because there is no play clock and no game clock. The length of a game is infinitely variable. Three outs per side constitute an inning. There is not a set time. There are other factors that play into game length like weather, umpire rulings, the total number of pitches thrown, and pitcher changes.

All baseball leagues from Tee-Ball to MLB use innings. The number of innings partially determines game length. The game continues in the event of a tie at the end of nine innings; teams will play as many innings as it takes to determine a winner.

Baseball Game Lengths: How Long is a Baseball Game?

The varying lengths of baseball games somewhat depend on the level of play.

Major League Baseball (MLB) Games

The average length of an MLB game is 3 hours and 8 minutes.

In the MLB, the longest game was 8 hours and 6 minutes, the shortest was 51 minutes. The MLB plays nine-inning games with each inning divided into two halves.

The top and bottom of each inning constitute the halves. The home team bats last with the away team batting first at the top of the inning. So, if the home team is ahead after the top of the eighth inning, that team wins.

Tie games automatically go into extra innings until a winner is determined.

How Long is a Major League Baseball Game FAQs

How many minutes of action are there in a Major League Baseball game?

There are roughly 18 minutes of action in a Major League Baseball game per the Wall Street Journal (July 16, 2013). Since a typical game lasts about 188 minutes, fans have over 90% of the time at the ballpark to talk with friends, eat hot dogs, and people watch without worrying about missing any plays on the field.

Are baseball games getting longer?

Yes, the average time to complete an MLB game is three hours and eight minutes per Baseball-Reference (as of June 6, 2021). In 2001, the average length of a baseball game was two hours and fifty-eight minutes.

How long is an inning of baseball?

About 20 minutes on average. If you take a three-hour game (180 minutes) and divide it by nine innings, you get 20 minutes per inning.

Minor League Games

The average length of a Minor League game is a little over 3 hours.

There are five classes of Minor Leagues. Triple-A, Double-A. High-A, Single-A, and Rookie. In addition, there are 14 different Minor Leagues with 206 teams. The Minor Leagues play nine innings except for doubleheaders. Double headers are shortened to seven innings.

In the Minor Leagues, the longest game was 8 hours and 25 minutes, the shortest game was 32 minutes.

The structure of innings and extra innings is the same as MLB.

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NCAA Baseball Games

The average length of an NCCA Baseball game is 2 hours and 59 minutes.

NCAA Baseball plays nine innings except for doubleheaders. Double headers are shortened to seven innings. After seven innings, for nine-inning games, or five innings for seven-inning games, a mercy rule can go into effect. If a team is up by 10 or more runs, the team leader wins.

The longest NCAA baseball game was 7 hours and 12 minutes, and the shortest was one hour and 13 minutes.

The structure of innings and extra innings is the same as MLB.

High School Baseball Games

The average length of a High School Baseball Game is 1 and ½ to 2 hours.

High School Baseball games are only seven innings. In the event of inclement weather, a game can be called in four innings. A mercy rule goes into effect if team is ahead by 10 or more runs after four innings. The mercy rule means the team ahead by ten or more runs wins.

The structure of innings and extra innings is the same as MLB.

Youth League Games

The length of games varies in youth leagues by rules established by leagues and communities. Here are some general guidelines.

Tee Ball

Tee Ball games are usually timed for an hour or less with four or five innings being played.

Some Tee Ball leagues have a different inning structure. Instead of three outs, an inning consists of every player on a team getting a chance to bat. Outs are not counted and there are no balls or strikes because the ball is placed on a tee. Other Tee Ball leagues do use the same three-out rule as all other baseball leagues.

Most Tee Ball leagues have a version of a mercy rule. Games can be called after 4.5 innings and a lead of ten runs. Another mercy rule is if a team gets ahead by 15 runs, the losing team may add another outfielder.

If a game ends in a tie, teams may accept the tie or may vote to continue playing extra innings. Playoff games have extra innings to break a tie.

Little League

The average length of a Little League Game is 1 to 1 and ½ hours.

Little League games have only six innings. This league is for participants up to age 12.

Pitchers are limited to a certain number of pitches they can throw per game. Any player is eligible to pitch, except if a player has played catcher for four or more innings. Also, a player may not pitch in more than one game in any given day.

The structure of innings and extra innings is the same as MLB.

Babe Ruth League

The average length of a game in the Babe Ruth League is about 2 hours.

In the Babe Ruth League, games have seven innings. This league is for participants ages 13 to 18 years old.

Like Little League, pitchers are limited by pitch counts. There is no limit to the number of pitchers a team may use in a game. Any player on the team is eligible to pitch, except catchers that have caught for four or more innings.

The structure of innings and extra innings is the same as MLB.

Factors That Can Affect Baseball Game Length

Here is a list of factors that can contribute to lengthening or shortening a baseball game:

Pitching Changes

It takes a long time to get a pitcher from the bullpen. Allow him to warm up. Get instructions from the manager and settle on the mound. This is all before he has pitched to the first batter. Changing pitchers multiple times in a game really slows things down.

Weather

Rain is the biggest problem for baseball games (not to mention lightning). The baseballs and baseball gloves that are used are made of leather. Leather absorbs water and gets heavy and slippery. Snow, extreme cold, and high winds can also shorten games.

Umpires

It is the umpires that have the authority to call an end to baseball games. Umpires will always consider player safety first. Sometimes, just a short rain delay is needed. Other times, wind or heavy rains force the cancelation of a game.

Commercials

Between inning breaks are filled with commercials. However, in 2019 the MLB shortened these breaks from three minutes to two minutes. This should lower the average game length.

Base on Balls

If a player is walked, that means he faced at least four pitches. If a player swings at the first pitch and gets a hit or an out, that is much shorter.

Batters, Pitchers, and Catchers

Certain batters have unique routines they follow prior to batting. These routines could include multiple practice swings, foot-tapping, and adjusting equipment. Pitchers are notorious for taking their time between pitches. Catchers can slow things up by flashing multiple signals.

Special Promotions

See our promotions section below.

When is an MLB Baseball Game Considered Official?

A baseball game can last less than nine innings and still be an official game. The visiting team must make 15 outs. If this condition is met and the home team is ahead, the home team wins. That means a game could end at four and ½ innings. If the home team is behind after four and ½ innings, they get one more at-bat.

The game is not official if a game is called before four and ½ innings because of weather or other circumstances. It must be replayed at a later date. The game will start all over again.

Why Baseball Games are Longer than Ever Video

Fifteen Funny Quotes About Baseball

Ninety percent of this game is half mental.
Yogi Berra

I watch a lot of baseball on radio.
Gerald Ford

Bob Gibson is the luckiest pitcher I ever saw. He always pitches when the other team doesn’t score any runs.
Tim McCarver

Beethoven can’t really be great because his picture isn’t on a bubble gum card.
Charles M. Schulz

When you start the game, they don’t say, “Work ball!” They say, “Play ball!”
Willie Stargell

Trying to sneak a pitch past Hank Aaron is like trying to sneak the sunrise past a rooster.
Joe Adcock

Humorous Baseball Sayings

If you get three strikes, even the best lawyer in the world can’t get you off.
Bill Veeck

There have only been two authentic geniuses in the world, Willie Mays, and Willie Shakespeare.
Tallulah Bankhead

Little League baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets.
Yogi Berra

There are two theories on hitting the knuckleball. Unfortunately, neither one of them works.
Charlie Lau

I never threw an illegal pitch. The trouble is, once in a while, I toss one that ain’t never been seen by this generation.
Satchel Paige

Never root for a team whose uniforms have elastic stretch waistbands.
Susan Sarandon

Well, it took me 17 years to get 3,000 hits in baseball, and I did it in one afternoon on the golf course.
Hank Aaron

All I remember about my wedding day in 1967 is that the Cubs lost a doubleheader.
George F. Will

There ain’t much to being a ballplayer if you’re a ballplayer.
Honus Wagner

Thirteen Crazy Baseball Fan Promotions

Many Triple-A Teams run crazy promotions to fill the stands. Sometimes, the big leagues even dip their toe in the water. Promotions can extend the length of a baseball game.

Here are ten crazy promotions and three from legendary baseball showman Bill Veeck.

1.) Need Some More Cowbell?

The Minnesota Twins decided that everyone could use a little more cowbell. What better way to salute Chris Colabello? He was a journeyman player who hit .214 in his 401 trips to the plate as a Twin. Have a cowbell, Chris.

2.) I Want a Hair Hat

For some reason, the Cincinnati Reds thought it would be a good idea to pay tribute to Bronson Arroyo. And the best way to do that? Give away hats with fake hair attached to the back. It didn’t match Arroyo’s hair, but who cares? I want one.

3.) That’s Just Awful

The creative marketing geniuses at the Altoona Curve are to blame for this one. The Pittsburg Pirate’s affiliate Double-A club decided to hold an Awful Night promotion. That’s right, create the worst experience possible. They played awful music and had the ballpark cook sign autographs. The Curve went on to host six more Awful Nights.

4.) Look Jerry, I Finally Made It

The Fort Myers Miracle decided to have a tribute night to Seinfeld. They chose to highlight an episode called “The Opposite.” In this episode, George Costanza gets a job with the Yankees and is wildly successful. The team paid the fans for parking, the scoreboard started in the ninth inning and went backward, and players asked fans for their autographs.

5.) I Could Be a Millionaire (Well, in Turkey at Least)

A promotion by the Nashua Pride sounded like a fan’s dream. Go to the ballpark and win a million bucks. Perfect. But there was one catch, it wasn’t a million dollars, itas a million Turkish lira. With the exchange rate in 2002, that works out to one dollar. Still, a great story to tell the grandkids.

6.) That’s Just Nuts

Nine Time MLB All-Star Mike Trout deserved proper praise. But a nutcracker with his face on it? That’s exactly what the front office of the Los Angeles Angels came up with. In 2018, fans walked out of Anaheim Stadium proudly clutching a Mike Trout nutcracker. What a wonderful country!

7.) Sake To Me

The San Francisco Giants decided to have a Japanese Heritage Night in 2009. Lucky fans received a complete set with a sake pitcher and glasses. A great addition to any home bar.

8.) I’ll Have Another

Nothing goes better together than beer and baseball. At least, that’s what the Cleveland Indians thought. In 1974, in a game against the Texas Rangers, Cleveland lowered beer prices to .10 a glass. What could possibly go wrong? You guessed it. The crown got out of hand and stormed the field. The game was called, and Texas was declared the winner.

9.) BBQ and Baseball

Toronto Blue Jays promotion guys tried to dream up an appropriate item to honor Jason Grilli. A BBQ apron was selected as the freebie for fans. Appropriately, they gave it away on Father’s Day in 2017. The Fire Up the Grilli apron is now a collector’s item.

10.) Let’s Open This Up

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ryan Stanek known as an opener as opposed to a closer had a great giveaway. In 2019, the Rays created a bottle opener with a bust of Ryan Stanek attached to it. Unfortunately, you did have to buy your own beer.

Bill Veeck Promotions

Here are three baseball promotions developed by Bill Veeck.

11.) One Small Strike Zone

Bill Veeck purchased the St. Louis Browns in 1951. The Browns were having a rough season and Veeck searched for ways to fill the seats. Veeck signed Eddie Gaedel to a contract.

Mr. Gaedel was only three feet seven inches tall. Veeck theorized that his strike zone was so small, that pitchers would struggle to pitch to him. Wearing his uniform number 1/8. Mr. Gaedel was promptly walked.

The following day, Will Harridge, the American League President, voided Eddie Gaedel’s contract. To this day, however, Mr. Gaedel remains the shortest man to ever play in the Major Leagues.

12.) Fans are the Coach

Veeck was far from done creating wild publicity stunts. He established Grandstand Manager’s Day. He recruited fans in the stands and gave them signs. The signs were to signal Brown’s manager Zack Taylor. They held messages like Steal, Bunt, or Change Pitchers. With the fans’ advice, the Browns beat the Philadelphia Athletics 5 to 3.

His wild ideas were a hit with fans and Brown’s attendance went way up. Even so, Veeck was forced to sell the team after the 1953 season.

13.) Disco Demolition Night

In 1979, Bill Veeck reemerged as owner of the Chicago White Sox. Again, poor attendance was an issue. Veeck brainstormed with his son Mike who was the assistant business manager and promotion director.

At this same time, Disco was the biggest thing on the radio. But not everyone was a fan. Local Radio DJ Steve Dahl routinely blew up disco records (using sound effects) on the air. Mike Veeck shared it with his father.

Disco Demolition Night was born. Fans would bring their disco records to the game to be blown up in the outfield. It would happen in the first game of a double header with the Detroit Tigers. The disco records were supposed to be collected at the door. But some records made it past security and were now being thrown throughout the stadium.

DJ Steve Dahl whipped the capacity crowd into a frenzy. The White Sox expected 5,000 fans, maybe 20,000 at most. 50,000 fans chanted Disco Sucks while a pile of disco records exploded in the outfield. The resulting crater canceled the second game of the double header. To add insult to injury, the White Sox were forced to forfeit the first game.

Final Thoughts: How Long is A Baseball Game?

The MLB is always examining ways to speed up play and shorten games. Minor League AA and AAA Teams have instituted a 20-second pitch clock and adhere to the rule. This has shortened games by an average of 12 minutes.

The Major League Baseball rulebook (Rule #8.04) states that the pitcher shall deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds. The pitcher catches the ball and must pitch it within 12 seconds.

The rule is almost never enforced. With the average time between pitches currently 23 seconds, enforcing this rule could make a dramatic difference. With 280 to 300 pitches per game, a 12 versus 23-second pause equals 55 minutes.

By Tim Moodie

Tim Moodie is a writer, inventor, and creative director based in Minneapolis, MN.

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