International baseball includes such tournaments as the Olympics, World Baseball Classic, the World Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. The rules of international baseball are set by the International Baseball Federation and are similar to professional baseball with a few exceptions. One rule that is quite different has to do with tie games.
Tie-Breaking Rule
In professional baseball, if a game is tied after nine innings, both teams keep playing until one team wins. In most international baseball games, if the game still is tied after 10 innings, the rule changes. Beginning in the 11th inning, the team at bat starts the inning with runners on first and second. This is an effort to speed the game along and reach a conclusion. In the World Baseball Classic, the rule takes effect after 13 innings.
Batting Order
Another aspect of the international tie-breaking rule is the batting order. Starting in the 11th inning, the team at bat can start the inning at any spot in its batting order. The lineup must remain in the original order, but the team can start at any point in the lineup. The two players who bat before the player chosen to start the inning are sent to first and second base. In the World Baseball Classic, teams are not permitted to choose a specific hitter to start any inning. The batting order remains intact through extra innings and each hitter comes to the plate in his regular turn.
Mercy Rule
The mercy rule is in effect to put an end to games when one team is drastically outscoring the other. If one team is leading the game by 15 or more runs after five innings, the game is called and that team is the winner. If one team leads by 10 or more after seven innings, the same rule applies.
World Baseball Rankings
International baseball sees countries play one another in tournaments and exhibitions around the world. The International Baseball Federation ranks the teams by country and produces a list at the end of each season. The top five ranked international baseball countries at the end of the 2010 season, in order, were Cuba, United States, Korea, Japan and Chinese Taipei.
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