Baseball does not have a set game clock like basketball, football, hockey, or soccer, which all have timers. The professional game is nine innings long.
When an inning is split in half, teams bat in each half (sometimes referred to as the “top” and the “bottom” of the inning).
The length of a half-inning is decided by how quickly the pitching team can get three outs in the inning. The away team bats first, and the home team follows.
The game is over early if the home side leads after eight and a half innings. Extra innings are played until a winner is determined if a game is tied after nine innings.
As a result, games can go on for a long time when players set their own tempo.
According to statistics gathered by baseball-reference.com, the average nine-inning MLB game last season lasted three hours and ten minutes.
According to MLB.com, the longest game in MLB history lasted more than eight hours and required two days of play for a total of 25 innings.
An MLB regular-season game that lasts nine innings typically lasts a little more than three hours on average. This is the first time since 2015 that the average length was under three hours.
In order to shorten the length of games, league officials have made it a priority to do so. A pitch clock, like a shot clock in basketball or the pre-snap play clock in football, has been discussed by officials.
It was introduced in the minor leagues this year. Major League Baseball is expected to introduce a pitch clock in 2023.
How Long Is A Baseball Game?
Major League Baseball games typically last about three and a half hours, however this can vary widely. There are nine innings in all of baseball’s levels of competition, but the minor league and collegiate games are shorter in duration.