How Many Outs Are There In An Inning Of Baseball?
How many outs are there in an inning of baseball? The answer may surprise you!
The Three-Outs Rule
In baseball, each half-inning consists of three outs. Once a team records three outs, the other team’s half-inning begins. The three outs can be recorded by any combination of methods, but the most common ways are via strikeouts, force outs and tag outs.
The Exception to the Rule
In baseball, an out is the act of taking a batter or baserunner out of play. The primary ways to make an out are to put the ball in play and have it be caught by a fielder, to strike a batter out, or to force a baserunner out. When there are three outs in an inning, it is officially over. However, there is one exception to this rule.
If the last batter of the inning hits a fair ball that results in the bases being loaded (with no outs), then the catcher will hold onto the ball until all runners have advanced safely. This is called a force play. Once all runners have advanced or been put out, the catcher will throw the ball back to the pitcher and the inning will then be over, even though there were technically only two outs recorded.
Why the Rule Was Made
The rule of three outs in an inning stems from a time when games were much shorter, and teams played multiple games in one day. In 1858, the Knickerbocker Club in New York, which was the first baseball club to codify rules, decided that each team would be allowed three outs per inning. This was likely due to the fact that games were only nine innings long at that time. The rule stuck and has been in place ever since.
It’s important to note that the rule of three outs per inning is not set in stone. In fact, there have been a few exceptions made over the years. In 2008, for instance, a game between the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers was suspended due to rain after seven innings had been played. According to MLB rules, the game should have resumed at a later date with the score being revert back to what it was when the game was called. However, both teams agreed to finish the game right then and there, resulting in an eight-inning game.
