102:
then 4½ innings (i.e., the middle of the fifth) is considered an official game. The game is also considered official if the home team scores to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, since the game would end immediately if the same thing happened in the ninth. Games that are stopped due to power outages are treated as suspended and cannot be declared official.
207:
Most codes of motorsport declare a race "official" with an official result if just three laps are completed, though only half the normal championship points are awarded if less than 75% of the race distance (rounded up to the nearest whole lap) is completed. If more than 75% of the race is completed,
105:
In the Major League
Baseball postseason (since 2009), all tiebreaker games that are added to the end of the regular season (since 2009), and in the regular season (since 2020), this rule does not apply; all games stopped at any time for weather or power outages are considered suspended and continued
73:
are added to each team's totals, while a suspended game is resumed from the point of stoppage at a later time. A game that is stopped before five innings have been played is considered "no game" unless it can be considered a suspended game; statistics accumulated before the stoppage are not counted
101:
long, the fifth inning is used as the threshold for an official game. If the visiting team is leading, or the game is tied, the end of the fifth inning marks this point. If the home team (which bats last) is already ahead in the score, and theoretically would not need its half of the fifth inning,
43:
are required to determine a winner, or the game must be stopped before nine innings have been played, e.g. due to inclement weather. The term "official game" is mainly used in the context of a game that is stopped before nine innings have been played, though it has been used for other promotional
122:
will be honored for fans holding tickets. If a game is started but does not reach the point of becoming official, fans are entitled to a new ticket for the make-up game or (in most modern cases) any other available game of their choice. If a game is halted after it becomes official, the game is
155:
to show the number of games in Ripken's streak. Each day, a new number was unfurled during the fifth inning after each game had become official (since the statistic would not have counted if the game had been stopped before that point). A similar practice has been used to count down toward the
110:, which was the first postseason game in history to be suspended and resumed from the point of suspension. Prior to the 2009 postseason, a playoff game had to have at least five innings completed in order to be suspendable; a playoff game stopped prior to that point had to be started over.
253:, a fight can be declared official for purposes of scoring in case of accidental head butts. That is typically the end of the second round, fourth round, or halfway. Fights that do not reach official status are no contest.
219:, where races must go at the next full lap after halfway or past a set point of the race. A race is considered "official" if it has completed half the scheduled distance plus one additional lap. For instance, the
106:
from the point of stoppage when play resumes, no matter if the game has reached the end of the fifth inning. This rule was put into place as a result of Game 5 of the
82:
In the case of inclement weather, any game which has reached this point may be stopped and shortened as needed, with the result being final, and all records and
119:
144:
90:(to be continued at a later date from the point of stoppage), or is simply canceled and replayed from the start. (This depends on the rules of each individual
196:
in
Atlanta in 2016); as each game became official, the team would unveil a new (lower) number showing the number of games left to be played in the stadium.
91:
51:
before the regulation number of innings have been played may be considered an official game if five innings have been played (
315:
148:
169:
299:
173:
274:
243:
227:
181:
32:
270:
235:
193:
177:
83:
70:
231:
216:
107:
48:
86:
counted. A game which has not reached this point before being stopped is either considered a
230:, a game can only be considered complete if both teams have faced a certain number of legal
220:
165:
65:
innings if the home team is in the lead), unless the game meets one of the conditions for a
132:
66:
309:
69:. An official game that is stopped in this way is ended at the point of stoppage and
40:
204:
Other professional sports utilize similar rules regarding "official" games/events.
189:
185:
136:
131:
The "official game" statistic received some attention during the 1995 season, when
239:
118:
In nearly all cases, the "official game" status is used to determine whether a
157:
140:
94:.) In either case, no statistics are counted until the game becomes official.
152:
20:
39:
have been played, except when the game is scheduled with fewer innings,
242:
match, each team must face at least 30 deliveries, while in the 8-hour
161:
250:
212:
98:
36:
223:(200 laps) must complete 101 laps to be considered official.
47:
A game that is stopped ("called" in the MLB rulebook) by the
211:
The major exception applies in the United States, mainly in
246:
format, they must each receive at least 120 deliveries.
74:
and replay of the game is subject to the league rules.
300:Major League Baseball Official Rules, 2019 Edition
271:"Official Rules: 4.00 Starting and Ending a Game"
97:Since most professional baseball games are nine
188:in New York City in 2008 and the conversion of
145:Baltimore & Ohio Warehouse at Camden Yards
143:. Large numbers were hung on the side of the
123:simply shortened and no rain check is given.
8:
135:was approaching the record for consecutive
262:
16:Baseball game longer than nine innings
302:– Rule 7.01 defines "regulation game"
7:
14:
35:rulebook) is a game where nine
234:(pitches); otherwise there is
127:Effects on statistical streaks
1:
182:the original Yankee Stadium
149:Oriole Park at Camden Yards
332:
194:a college football stadium
208:full points are awarded.
174:Busch Memorial Stadium
275:Major League Baseball
244:One Day International
228:limited overs cricket
139:, previously held by
33:Major League Baseball
316:Baseball terminology
277:. pp. Rule 4.12
108:2008 World Series
78:Inclement weather
323:
287:
286:
284:
282:
267:
221:Indianapolis 500
166:Veterans Stadium
64:
63:
59:
56:
331:
330:
326:
325:
324:
322:
321:
320:
306:
305:
296:
291:
290:
280:
278:
269:
268:
264:
259:
238:. In a 3-hour
202:
129:
116:
80:
61:
57:
54:
52:
29:regulation game
17:
12:
11:
5:
329:
327:
319:
318:
308:
307:
304:
303:
295:
294:External links
292:
289:
288:
261:
260:
258:
255:
201:
198:
133:Cal Ripken Jr.
128:
125:
115:
112:
88:suspended game
79:
76:
67:suspended game
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
328:
317:
314:
313:
311:
301:
298:
297:
293:
276:
272:
266:
263:
256:
254:
252:
247:
245:
241:
237:
233:
229:
224:
222:
218:
214:
209:
205:
199:
197:
195:
191:
187:
183:
180:in 2005, and
179:
175:
171:
167:
163:
159:
154:
150:
146:
142:
138:
134:
126:
124:
121:
113:
111:
109:
103:
100:
95:
93:
89:
85:
77:
75:
72:
68:
50:
45:
42:
41:extra innings
38:
34:
30:
26:
25:official game
22:
279:. Retrieved
265:
248:
225:
210:
206:
203:
200:Other sports
190:Turner Field
186:Shea Stadium
170:Philadelphia
137:games played
130:
117:
104:
96:
87:
81:
46:
28:
24:
18:
240:T20 cricket
164:(including
160:of several
44:purposes.
257:References
232:deliveries
158:demolition
141:Lou Gehrig
120:rain check
114:Rain check
84:statistics
71:statistics
281:9 October
236:no result
178:St. Louis
172:in 2003,
153:Baltimore
310:Category
162:stadiums
21:baseball
217:INDYCAR
99:innings
60:⁄
49:umpires
37:innings
31:in the
251:boxing
213:NASCAR
92:league
23:, an
283:2011
215:and
184:and
249:In
226:In
192:to
176:in
168:in
151:in
147:at
19:In
312::
273:.
285:.
62:2
58:1
55:+
53:4
27:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.