How Long Is A 9 Inning Baseball Game?

How long is a 9 inning baseball game? Find out the answer and get some tips on how to make the most of your time at the ballpark.

Introduction

A baseball game is made up of innings, and each inning consists of two halves. In the top half of the inning, the away team bats, and in the bottom half of the inning, the home team bats. An inning is complete when each team has had a turn batting and there are three outs on each side. A Nine inning baseball game typically lasts between two and three hours.

The History of the 9 Inning Game

The baseball game as we know it today consists of 9 innings. However, this has not always been the case. In the early days of baseball, games were much shorter, sometimes consisting of only 7 innings. So how did baseball games come to be 9 innings long?

Early baseball games were much longer

It’s hard to believe, but early baseball games were much longer than the 9-inning contests we watch today. In the 1800s, games typically lasted between 3 and 4 hours. But as the popularity of the sport grew, so did the demand for shorter games. In 1857, the rules were changed to allow each team 9 innings instead of unlimited innings. This helped to speed up the game, but it still wasn’t short enough for some fans.

It wasn’t until 1883 that baseball games were finally reduced to the 9-inning format we know today. This change was largely due to two factors: first, pitchers were now allowed to use a larger ball (which made it harder for batters to hit); and second, outfielders were moved back further from home plate (which made it harder for them to catch fly balls). These two changes made it harder for teams to score runs, which helped to shorten the games.

Interestingly, there was another rule change in 1883 that also contributed to shorter games: teams were only allowed 3 outs per inning instead of unlimited outs. This rule change is what led to baseball’s famous 3-strike rule (and also its less famous 5-strike rule).

Today, baseball games are still 9 innings long, but they are shorter than they used to be thanks to these rule changes. The average game now lasts around 2 hours and 30 minutes. Of course, there are always exceptions: some games can be over in less than 2 hours while others can drag on for well over 3 hours. But on average, most 9-inning baseball games fall somewhere in between 2 and 3 hours in length.

The 9 inning game became standard in the late 1800s

The 9 inning game became standard in the late 1800s, but there have been many variations throughout baseball history.

The first documented instance of a 9 inning game being played was in 1846, when the New York Knickerbockers took on the Brooklyn Excelsiors. The game was played to a score of 23-1 in favor of the Excelsiors.

However, it wasn’t until the late 1880s that the 9 inning game became firmly established as the standard. Prior to that, games were often much shorter, sometimes only lasting 7 innings.

There have been several changes to the rules of baseball since then, but the 9 inning game has remained largely unchanged.

How Long Is A 9 Inning Game Today?

The length of a 9 inning baseball game has increased over the years. In 2018, the average 9 inning game was 3 hours and 4 minutes long. That is an increase of 8 minutes from 2017. The longest game in MLB history was played in 1984 and was 8 hours and 25 minutes long.

The average 9 inning game today is about 3 hours

Nine-inning baseball games have been getting longer, on average, for decades. In the 1970s, they averaged about 2 hours and 30 minutes. As of 2018, they’re up to about 3 hours.

There are a lot of factors that have contributed to the lengthening of games. One is that pitchers are simply throwing more pitches per game than they used to. In the 1970s, pitchers averaged about 100 pitches per game. In 2018, that number was up to about 105.

Another factor is that there are more opportunities for commercials during today’s games than there were in the past. Television broadcasts now have built-in breaks for commercials several times per inning, which wasn’t the case fifty years ago.

Finally, it’s worth noting that today’s players are generally bigger and stronger than those of previous generations, which can lead to longer at-bats and more innings that go deep into counts (and thus take longer to complete).

There is variation based on team and league

In baseball, innings are how the game is divided up. Each team gets a chance to hit, and the game is over when each team has hit in all their innings. In a standard game of baseball, there are 9 innings in total. 3 outs per inning, 27 outs in the game. How long it takes to play those 9 innings can vary based on a number of different factors.

First, the number of batters each team sends to the plate can differ. If one team hits more batters than the other team (ie, they have more offense), then that team will likely score more runs, and the game will take longer to play. Additionally, if a team hits more home runs, that also tends to lengthen the game.

Second, the number of pitcher changes can also affect game time. If each team uses multiple pitchers throughout the game, that will add time as each pitcher needs to warm up before entering the game.

Finally, playing style can also play a role in how long a 9 inning game takes. If one team is very aggressive on the bases, stealing bases and taking extra base whenever possible, that can lengthen the duration of a game. Additionally, if there are a lot of close calls and reviewable plays throughout the course of a game, that will also add time onto the final score.

Why Are Games Getting Longer?

The average length of a 9-inning baseball game has increased by almost half an hour over the past 20 years. There are a number of factors that have contributed to this trend. One of the most important ones is the increased number of pitches per inning.

Pitching changes are a big reason for longer games

Pitching changes are a big reason for longer games. In 1975, the average major league game lasted 2 hours and 33 minutes. In 2019, it was 3 hours and 5 minutes. That’s a difference of 32 minutes, or about the length of one additional inning.

A lot of that has to do with the way teams use their bullpen these days. In 1975, there were an average of 2.48 pitchers used per game. In 2019, that number had jumped to 3.82.

So why the change? Part of it has to do with the way teams value reliever specialization. In the past, it was common for pitchers to work multiple innings in relief. Now, managers often like to bring in a fresh arm every inning or so to face just a few batters before turning things over to the next guy.

Another reason games are getting longer is that batters are taking more pitches. In 1975, the average major league batter saw 3.69 pitches per plate appearance. In 2019, that number had risen to 3.95 pitches per plate appearance.

One final factor contributing to longer games is that umpires are calling more balls and strikes these days than they did in the past. In 2005, major league umpires called an average of 3,146 pitches per game “balls.” In 2018, that number had risen to 4,056 balls per game—an increase of 910 balls per game, or about 29 additional balls per game over 13 years.”

More commercials also add to the length of games

In 2016, the average length of a nine-inning baseball game was 3 hours and 2 minutes, up from 2 hours and 33 minutes in 1981, according to Major League Baseball. And even though the number of pitches per game has remained relatively steady over that time period, the amount of time between pitches has increased by about 30 seconds.

One reason for the increase in game length is the rise in commercial breaks. In 1981, there were an average of 18 commercial breaks per game, totaling about 12 minutes. In 2016, there were an average of 32 commercial breaks per game, totaling about 21 minutes.

Another factor contributing to longer games is the increased use of relief pitchers. In 1981, starters pitched an average of 6.2 innings per game. In 2016, they pitched an average of 5.6 innings per game. As a result, there are more opportunities for commercials between innings.

Finally, the increased use of video replay review also adds to the length of games. In 2014, MLB instituted a new rule allowing each team to challenge one call per game. If the challenge is successful, the call is overturned and the play resumes; if it fails, the team loses its challenge for the rest of the game. On average, each challenge takes about 2 minutes and 30 seconds to review.

Conclusion

In general, a major league baseball game lasts about three hours. That’s about as long as it takes to play nine innings. But there are a lot of variables that can affect the length of a baseball game. Things like the number of hits, errors, walks, and strikeouts all play a role in how long a game will last. The pace of play is also a factor. If the batter is taking a long time between pitches, or the catcher is taking a long time to return the ball to the pitcher, that can add up over the course of nine innings. And of course, weather can also be a factor. If it’s raining or really hot out, that can slow things down.

So while three hours is a good average for the length of a baseball game, it’s not an exact science. There are just too many variables at play. But if you’re planning on going to a baseball game, you can usually expect it to last about three hours.